Crossing The Line
by elementBLUE
Summary: Tala has feelings for a spunky girl in his grade. The only problem is, she's an outcast, shunned by the grade. But that doesn't stop him. TalaOC ReiOC KaiOC
1. Welcome To Cambell Acadamy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kai, Tala, and Rei. But I own Madison, Jade, the school, and Katrina.

**Note: **Yes. Another romance story… I hope you like it though. I need one OC to be paired up with either Tyson, Johnny, or Max. I might be able to take two, but I'm not sure. I think too many people will be too confusing. Feel free to send in an OC, because even though I have an OC (Stephanie) from my other story, I'd like someone new for a change.

* * *

**Crossing the Line**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Madison Yagami sat alone in silence. She sat alone in the large cafeteria. Her silky, deep purple hair had soft lavender streaks and fell loosely in natural waves across her back, stopping at mid-back. Her hair was truely unique. Her hair was completely straight until her shoulders, where it fell in soft waves. No bangs. She never had bangs because it got in they way. Her sharp amethyst eyes scanned the crowd, looking for someone. The seventeen year old wore a the school uniform, which happened to be a solid white long sleeved blouse with a navy blue tie and matching blue skirt that came up halfway to her thighs. The blouse had the school logo on the upper left chest area and was tucked in neatly. On her left arm, at the top, she had a metallic pink tattoo of a plumeria, a Hawaiian flower that was about three inches in diameter. Her shoes were a pair of skateboarding shoes, Vans to be specific, that was light gray with the 'v' logo in a light pink color. Her skin was a light peach color and her body was slender, about 5'9". Her face was beautiful and often wore an impish smirk, never a smile. 

A girl with straight, waist length light brown hair that was naturally highlighted from the sun, and worn in a loose braid down her back, walked up to Madison and gave her a kind smile. Her sun streaked bangs framed her face and went slightly past her chin in two strands parted in the middle. Her eyes were a sparkling emerald color with flecks of light gray. She wore the school uniform and dark gray Vans with the 'v' in a forest green color. She had long bangs that were parted in the middle reaching to her chin. And also had a small silver hoop earring at the top of her left ear with a small jade bead in the middle. Jade Ishida was also seventeen and slightly taller than 5'8". She had lightly tanned skin and a very nice figure. But unlike her friend, she often had a kind smile on her pretty face, but only around her best friend.

The two girls were the best of friends, but they were outcasts. Why? Because the school's elite clique said so. Typical. Every school has that one group that ranked as the most popular, pretty, and wealthy. A stereotypical school. It was a long story, but Madison didn't care. Neither did Jade. Yet, it was kind of lonely for the two girls. People did talk to them and they had a few other friends, but none were very close. There was nothing wrong with them, but if the head clique said they were outcasts, they were outcast. And that was that.

Why didn't anyone speak up to the high clique? Because the head girl was Katrina Campbell, the president's daughter. The president, or principal, was wealthy and had a lot of power. Which meant that his daughter did as well. She was very pretty and typically slutty, but she was a pretty decent student. Among her group were the hottest girls and boys of the school. Only a handful of people were in that top group, but that handful dominated over everyone else. And many people want to, and try to be part of that group. Girls craved and worshipped the top boys and vise versa with the top girls. But many people figured that being popular, also meant you were an asshole, bitch, slut, etc. Well. They're wrong.

His icy crystal blue eyes gazed at the violet haired girl. He had spiked flaming red hair and his skin was pale, but very slightly tanned. Tala Valkov was almost eighteen, was well built, and about 5'11". He wore the boy's uniform, which was a solid white long sleeved button-up shirt and long navy blue pants with the same logo on the shirt, and the same matching navy tie. He wore white and blue cross training shoes, since students were allowed to wear any kind of shoes they preferred, as long as it was covered footwear. He knew she was an "outcast", but he still couldn't pull himself away from her. He tore his eyes away, fighting off the urge to take another look at her. He had stopped denying the fact that he liked her, and almost a whole year has past since then. He didn't care that she was at the bottom, while he was at the top. He liked her, but knew that she probably didn't like him. But, she was addicting. He wanted to memorize her face. He gave into temptation and turned to look at her again.

A Chinese boy sitting next to him noticed the girl he was staring at and smiled sadly. Rei Kon was about 5'11" and was seventeen. He had long jet black hair and golden-brown eyes. His jet black hair was tied and wrapped up with a long white cloth. He wore the boy's uniform and black skateboarding shoes. His ethnicity was very clear due to his fair golden skin. He was very well built and usually wore a handsome smile on his face. He looked over at the brunette and her friend, and pitied them. They were truly nice and smart, not to mention both were very pretty. But, he couldn't bring himself to talk to them, especially Jade… Not after everything that happened in the past…

But Tala, Rei noticed, has had his eye on the purple haired girl for while already. Yet, it was kind of like Romeo and Juliet. He was from one side, and she was from another… But it was also different from Romeo and Juliet as well. She was an outcast, the people hated/disliked by the higher group, and _the_ high clique itself. And Tala was probably the most wanted guy in the school. Rei wanted to encourage Tala, but he figured Tala would prefer to handle his own issues.

Madison felt like she was being watched. She looked up and her sharp amethyst eyes met a pair of crystal blue orbs. Tala Valkov. One of the hottest and most wanted guy in the school. She lifted a delicate eyebrow and could have sworn he was blushing — although, she really couldn't tell from where she was sitting. She watched as he gave her a very small and slightly shy smile before turning away. _Huh!_ Why would he even look at her in the first place? After what happened between her and Katrina, the principal's daughter, she didn't think any one sitting at that table would even acknowledge her. But… the red head was kind of charming and sweet in a way… _It was just an accident. Maybe he was looking at someone behind me?_ She turned to look behind her. _Never mind._ The people sitting behind her were all boys, and not just any boys, but the geeks – no offense to them – from the advanced chess club. There was a chess club, with people who enjoyed chess, and an _advanced_ chess club, for those who worshipped the damn game. Madison decided he just pitied her. She didn't need his pity.

Her only friend was Jade. They've been friends ever since she first came to Campbell Boarding Academy, which was two years ago. Now she was a junior. Ninth grade had been hell, but after she met Jade, she felt very lucky and happy with her one best friend. They were roommates, sharing the same dorm this year and last year. She never bothered to find out who they neighbors were, but last year it was Queen Bitch herself. She and Jade were lucky that they didn't have a third roommate, since almost everyone shunned them. But, this year, they knew another girl would be joining them. Girls and boys both lived in the same building – which was a stupid idea to her – but boys and girls had separate rooms. There were never any co-ed roommates. But it was a co-ed building. Girls would be with girls in one room, and boys with boys in another room, but next door.

"Let's go," Jade said smiling. "What class do you have next?"

Madison pulled a black binder out of her light gray backpack. Jade peered over her shoulder. Not only were they roommates, but they also shared almost all of the same classes with each other. That was the only good thing. _What a stupid school. I can't believe my dad even thought of sending me here._ She memorized the rest of her classes for the day and put her binder away.

"Math." Madison replied in a quiet tone. Jade nodded. After that class, they were both on their own. Jade had biology and photography, while Madison had English and study hall. Jade gave her friend a warm smile.

"Then I'll meet you at the dorm after my class is finished, okay?"

Madison nodded and picked up her backpack. Jade tossed their lunches away and the two girls walked to their class in silence. It was only the first week of eleventh grade, and school was already boring. Madison tried not to fall asleep as her teacher droned on about linear equations. She decided that she could just take notes later from her textbook, and scanned the room. _It's him again._ She never noticed it before, but Tala Valkov was in her math class. And so were his two best friends Rei Kon and Kai Hiwatari.

Kai Hiwatari was the lone wolf of the school. He was extremely hot and very quiet, but has never gone out with any girl. And he refused every girl that had ever tried to ask him out. He even refused Katrina, who claims him and Tala for herself. Gay? Hell no. But rumor has it that he's just not into love. The seventeen year old was 5'11" and had lightly tanned skin. He had emotionless, but stunning, crimson eyes and messy two toned hair. Dark gray in the front and dark blue in the back. He wore the school uniform, but refused to wear the tie properly and left it undone. Luckily it wasn't bow ties… they were just formal ties. On weekends and holidays, students were allowed to wear what they wanted. He also had two blue triangle-like tattoos on each cheek. They school didn't dare say anything against it because Kai's grandfather was a very wealthy man.

Other than noticing a couple more people, math was pretty much the same for Madison. She said a quick goodbye to Jade and headed for her next class. Madison sighed inwardly as she took a seat in the back of the English classroom. It was her first English class of the year. Which meant introductions, class rule, expectation, grading system, etc. The same old crap. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Blair, and went through the class expectations.

"As I call your names, you will be grouped up in tables of four, and one table will have three. It will be in alphabetical order, so the first four will be a table and so on," Mrs. Blair explained. "This will be your seating for the rest of the school year, unless I decided to change it."

Madison glanced at the clock. Only half an hour more… She waited as the teacher called out name after name. She stifled a yawn and twirled a wavy lock around her index finger. She was used to being alone. That's how it was all her life. Until she met Jade. _I'm so lucky I have Jade as my best friend…_

"Tala Valkov. Clair Walker. Madison Yagami."

Madison held back a weary sigh and picked up her bag, walking towards the assigned table. She noticed that the red haired Russian boy was in a lot of her classes. But he was at the top of the ladder and she was at the bottom. Plus, the other girl in the group, Clair, was one of those girls who tried too hard to be popular and pretty. This was going to be one hell of a long year…

He stood in front of the table, trying to decide whether to sit across from her or next to her. He chose the seat across from her, since the tables were in groups of four, and the other girl sat next to him. Tala felt her emotionless stare on him, and felt his cheeks heat up slightly. He tried to force down his blush and turned to listen to the teacher.

"So introduce yourselves to your tables and then at the end of the period, you are free to go. Which gives you about 10 to 15 minutes," the teacher said in an overly cheerful tone. Madison wanted to scream. Introductions? She hated those. Besides, everyone knew her as the gothic loner. It's not like she neededmore introduction than "outcast". She wasn't Goth, but her silent and dark demeanor gave her that label.

"I guess I'll go first," Tala said breaking the awkward silence. Sure, he was the typical popular kid, but at least he tried hard in school and received almost all A's. Plus, he was finally getting closer to the pretty violet haired girl. "I'm Tala Valkov and I'm seventeen. I'm full Russian and was born in Russia. My favorite color is red. And some of my hobbies are watching horror movies, reading, playing my guitar, and soccer."

Clair giggled, while Madison just nodded. The orange haired girl that sat next to him was very different from the violet haired one sitting across from him. One wore heavy make up, and her uniform was "modified" so that it was tighter and more revealing. The other wore almost no make up, except for the light lip gloss and wore a well fitted uniform, not too tight and not too loose.

"My name's Clair Walker!" Clair said to Tala, ignoring the fact that there was one more person on the table. Madison couldn't have cared less. "I'm eighteen going on nineteen because I, like, had to do ninth grade all over again. I was born in Paris, and raised in France. I _love_ hot pink, because it's the hottest color ever! And I love to go to the mall, go shopping, buy clothes, and shop at the mall!"

Madison resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The girl was an _idiot_. No wonder she flunked ninth grade! Madison looked over at Tala, who rolled his eyes and looked at her. She didn't really want to introduce herself, but something told her that the red haired Russian was actually expecting her to say something. His crystal sky blue eyes stared at her, waiting patiently, while the other girl tried to get his attention by batting her eyelashes and flipping her hair.

"I'm Madison Yagami. I'm seventeen. I'm full Japanese. My favorite color is light pink. And I like to read, sing, dance, and play soccer."

Tala smiled, ignoring Clair. He watched as her cold lavender eyes soften up for a split second, before changing beck to its original emotionless state. He studied her for a couple of seconds. Her wavy hair looked silky and soft. Her pale skin made her look delicate, and contrasted perfectly with her deep purple hair with lavender streaks. Her lips were full and a faded pink color. She had long eyelashes and slender fingers. He wondered why she was an "outcast" at all. She was prettier than Katrina Campbell herself! Maybe she said something or did something to Katrina, because if she wasn't such a loner and an outcast, she would have flocks of boys following her.

"Class is dismissed!" The teacher called out. Madison gathered her books and headed for the door. Until she bumped into someone and dropped all of her books. Tala's eyes widened slightly. _Shit. I'm so clumsy… I can't even watch where I'm going! Now she's going to think I'm a klutz or something._

"Sorry." He said picking up her books. Madison gave him a slightly surprised look. _Sorry! Wow. I haven't heard that in a long time… well, other than from Jade._ She gave him a small smile in return.

"It's alright." she said taking her books from him. His hand brushed hers accidentally, causing him to blush lightly. Tala scowled inwardly. He definitely had a soft spot for her. He had a reputation as the most mischievous guy in the grade. He didn't _do_ blushing. But… she smiled at him! And it was a small, but beautiful smile. _Man. I got it bad for her. And I hardly even know her too…_

"Bye." He said quietly, hoping that she heard him. His heart skipped a beat as she gave him a small smile as she walked out of the door.

* * *

"So, how was your day, Madi?" Jade asked. Madison lay on her stomach, on her bed reading a magazine. She looked up and grinned impishly. She always wore a mask at school, but when it was just her and Jade, she became a different person. 

"Do you really have to ask?" Madison replied rolling her eyes. "Well, actually… it was okay…"

"Really?" Jade chuckled. "And why is that?"

Madison smirked and closed her magazine, then seated herself upright. She and Jade each had one room with their own bed, and there was one other empty room and bed for their third roommate. It was a very nice dorm because Campbell Boarding Academy was one of the top boarding schools in the world, and tuition was very expensive.

"You know who Tala Valkov is, right?"

Jade nodded and motioned for Madison to go on.

"Well, he bumped into me and I dropped all my books, and he picked them up! He even apologized!" Madison said throwing her hands up in the air in an exasperated manner. "If Katrina saw him… She would—"

"Kill you, bring you back to life, and then kill you again." Jade finished with a grin. But, her grin quickly faded away. "But, really Madi. I like it how she totally hates our guts, but I don't want to be known as an "outcast" anymore. I guess it's kind of fun, but it gets old after a while. Then again, we don't really have a choice. Whatever Katrina says, goes."

"I know, I know." Madison said shrugging. "It's her fault for being such a bitch. I'll think of something…"

"Okay… Oh! By the way, we're getting a roommate tomorrow. She's a new student from Hawaii. Her name is Krystal Kamiya and she's seventeen." Jade said looking at a paper from the principal. Madison sighed.

"Oh well…" Madison sighed again before her lips curved up into an impish smirk. "I heard Rei's in your biology class…"

Jade scowled. "Yeah. And the idiot sits right next to me too. This is going to be the _longest_ year ever!"

"You said it…"

* * *

A girl with chocolate brown hair that was a couple of inches shorter than mid back length with soft golden highlighted streaks, walked into the noisy classroom. She had two locks of bangs parted in the middle that reached mid cheek, framing her face. Her eyes were a gorgeous stormy blue-gray color, but were emotionless and icy cold. Her lightly tanned skin gave her an athletic look. She was about 5'9", and wore the required school uniform. She was gorgeous and had a perfect figure, but wore a uniform that fit her correctly. Not too tight and not too loose, unlike many of the other girls at school. She wore white Vans skateboarding shoes with the 'v' sign in light blue. 

She walked up and handed to homeroom teacher a note. She could feel people staring at her, and heard whispers going around the room.

"Class! We have a new student in our homeroom!" Mr. Tanaka, the teacher cried out. Madison and Jade looked up at the new girl. _That must be her,_ Madison thought looking at the emotionless girl. Her icy stare sent involuntary shivers up Madison's spine.

"This is Krystal Kamiya, and she's from Japan's finest school, but moved here due to personal matters," Mr. Tanaka explained. "So please make her feel welcomed. Miss Kamiya, please give a small introduction."

"Hn." The new girl said coldly. The homeroom teacher just smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Please take a seat," Mr. Tanaka said scanning the room for an open seat. "Your seat is next to Rei's. Mr. Kon, please raise your hand for Miss Kamiya."

Rei raised his hand and watched as the emotionless girl sat down in the seat next to his. There were individual desks and wasn't put together in groups of four, unlike most classes. Rei looked at Kai, so sat behind her. Kai looked uninterested and bored. _Typical. _He stole a quick look at Jade, who was listening to music on her CD player. Rei smiled sadly to himself. He remembered her habits so well… She never seemed like she was studying or even paying attention in class, but looks were deceiving. She may not _look_ like she's paying attention, but she actually is. And she gets good grades too. _I hate to admit it, but I miss those fun times…_

* * *

Madison practically bolted out of her chair when homeroom was dismissed. She stopped at Jade's desk and waited for Jade, who was sifting through her notebooks and putting her CD player away. Madison watched Krystal stand up silently and walk out of the door, only to be stopped by a boy standing in the doorway. That boy happened to be Katrina's ex-boyfriend, Jason Hampton. He was the biggest player in school, and also one of the hottest guys. He was tall, with hazel eyes and auburn hair. 

"Hey, so you're the new girl… you want to sit with me and my friends later, during lunch?" Jason asked smoothly. "I could show you around and we could hang out at my place after school. It'll be fun."

Krystal raised delicate dark brown eyebrow. Who does this guy think he is! The least he could do was look at her in the eyes and quit staring at her chest. Idiot. Not like she'd want to eat lunch with a total stranger anyways, or go to his "place" for that matter. She didn't even know his name! Go to his "place"? No way in hell.

"I don't think so." She said sharply and pushed her way through the door. Madison's lips curled into a rare smirk. She hardly smirked during the school day, but that definitely deserved a smirk. Jade suppressed a chuckle and picked up her backpack as Jason stormed away. No one has ever refused Jason Hampton before… until now.

The two remaining girls headed out of the classroom, not noticing that there was still one student inside. Kai Hiwatari watched the scene with an emotionless and bored expression. Only after he was absolutely positive that he was alone, did an amused smirk appear on his handsome face. It wasn't every day where he saw the school's biggest jerk being shut down by a girl. _That. _He had to admit. _Was a good one. _

* * *

Krystal held back a relived sigh. The day was _finally_ over. It felt like the longest day of her life. The only personal time she had was lunch, and even then it wasn't very quiet. Random boys were constantly stalking her, and she had absolutely no idea why. A couple of girls were following her, which she found incredibly disturbing and weird. There was even a teacher, about in his mid twenties, who constantly talked to her and tried to "help" her. _This is going to be one hell of a school year. Plus, I have to have roommates. Damn._

"Hey. You're Krystal Kamiya, right?" A girl with light brown hair asked walked towards her. Krystal nodded in response. She noticed another girl behind the brunette with violet hair and lavender streaks. She had seen both girls sit together in the cafeteria, alone. It was as if no one wanted to be near them… _But, why?_

"I'm Jade Ishida, and this is Madison Yagami," the brunette said, introducing her friend as well. "And. Well… you're our roommate."

Krystal stared emotionlessly for a second. "Okay."

Krystal followed the two girls back to her new room. Both girls were rather quiet, like her, and she found the silence slightly peaceful. Her bags and clothes were already up in the room, and she had two keys. One to carry and one spare. When they reached the room, the brunette pointed out her room and then both girls left her alone. She unpacked her items and clothes, which were many pairs of uniforms as well as casual attire. After she finished, she walked out and sat down on one of the couches in the living room. A short while after, the other two girls came out and sat down too.

"Why did you decide to come to this school?" Madison inquired. She didn't understand why anyone would come to this school! Krystal narrowed her eyes, but didn't reply. Jade sighed and force a small and sincere smile.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of us," Jade apologized. Madison glared at Jade. Jade shot a look back at her best friend. Krystal didn't say anything, and her eyes remained emotionless and cold. _Is she trustworthy? Oh well, she's find out anyways…_

"Look. There's one thing you should know about Madison and I," Jade said calmly. Krystal turned to face them, showing Jade that she had her attention. "We're outcasts, loners, shunned. So you might want to ask is you can change roommates. We're not just saying this to make you move out. We don't know each other that well, but I thought we should tell you that."

Krystal nodded. She had a feeling there was a reason for why the whole school avoided them. Her icy exterior softened. _That really sucks. I wonder why they're shunned though…_ "Why are you outcasts?"

"None of your—" Madison started to say before Jade cut her off.

"We don't really want to say," Jade said quietly. "Sorry."

Krystal looked at both girls. No one deserved to be outcasts. These two girls were different from others… something about them made them trustworthy and… cool. They should have to be shunned by the fucking entire school. And they only had each other. Best friends. She admired their will to attend this school as outcasts…

"Don't be sorry," Krystal said giving a very small, but genuine smile. Jade grinned and even Madison smiled. Maybe a new roommate wasn't going to be so bad after all… but could they really trust her? Who would want to be friends with a pair of outcasts? "I should be sorry for being so rude. My name's Krystal Kamiya, but you can call me Krys."

"I'm Jade." Jade said smiling. Madison shot Krystal a short wary look.

"I'm Madison, but you can call me Madi," Madison said. Krystal nodded, sensing their uneasiness. _So… that means they're probably debating whether I'm trustworthy or not. _

"Don't worry, I'm not going to betray you in anyway. Do I really seem like that kind of a person?" Krystal smirked in a friendly way. "Besides, I'm new. And two is such a lonely number…"

"Is it really?" Madison gave a friendly smirk in return. Jade chuckled. "Maybe we should invite one more person… What do you think Jade?"

"That sounds like it might work. If that third person doesn't mind being shunned by the entire grade…" Jade replied in a slightly serious tone. Krystal smirked and shrugged.

"I don't mind at all," Krystal said in a soft voice. Her cold and serious expression changed into a friendly one. "But you gotta show me around and I call the seat in the cafeteria next to Madi."

The three girls grinned. Madison nodded and began telling Krystal about the cliques and the teachers, while Jade when into the kitchen and brought out snacks. Krystal smirked when Madison pointed out that she hadrefused one of the most popular boys in school, Jason Hampton. The icy girl they met in homeroom was _way _different from the person they were now friends with. Krystal's icy exterior was slowly opening up to the two girls, and there was no doubt that she would be trustworthy. Jade brought in a movie and Madison argued with Krystal on who got the last cookie. Madison used her sharp retorts, while Krystal just replied with a short and coldremark, cutting Madison off each time. In the end, Krystal managed to grab the cookie while Madison glared in defeat.

Jade laughed, this year might to be so bad after all…

* * *

The next chapter will be with Kai, Rei, and Tala, meeting Krystal, Jade, and Madison. Krystal will also meet Katrina, the queen of Campbell Academy. This first chapter was kind of boring, and I apologize for that, but it will get better as the story goes on. 

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I really like getting suggestions on what to put in each chapter, that way I can add in more ideas and make this story better.

I also need one more OC to be paired up with either Tyson, Johnny, or Max. Or maybe someone else like Bryan or Brooklyn… it's up to you. But I'm only adding one more. Too many people will be too confusing. Feel free to send in an OC, because even though I have an OC (Stephanie and Rachel) from my other story, I'd like someone new for a change. The new OC will come in around chapters three or four, depending on how much I write.

I'm going to add in one boy OC of my own. He's from my other story, It Might Be You, and his name is Andrew. I'll need an OC girl to be paired up with him too. Andrew is around 5'10" and has crystal blue-gray eyes. He has short, naturally spiked dirty blond hair and is sixteen years old.

To send in your OC put:

Name

Age (has to be 16 -17)

Birthday (if you want)

Appearance (including something they would wear on the weekends where they weren't required to wear uniforms.)

Personality

Likes

Dislikes

Who you want to be paired up with (Andrew (my OC), or Max, Johnny, etc.)

Background (like family etc. maybe?)


	2. Rivalries and Fights

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kai, Tala, and Rei. But I own Madison, Jade, the school, and Katrina.

**Note: **thanks for all the OC's! I'm sorry I can't use them all! They were all so good! I had a super hard time deciding… I might just have the remaining OC's be extra characters that come in once or twice. Thanks for submitting so many! I only needed two, but I got so many extra! The characters I don't use will appear in the story; I'll try to get all of them in a couple of times. I'm actually thinking of making a new story with the same "school" kind of theme. I'll probably use the remaining OC's in that one when I start it.

I already chose the two OC's I needed, but they won't appear in this chapter, so you'll have to wait to find out who I chose along with the boy they're paired up with. Sorry, but enjoy this chapter. I tried to write a longer chapter, but when the new girls come in, it will be longer.

I changed the rating to M (or R as it used to be) because of possible lime scenes. I'm not into writing lemons, so they will be short limes. There will also be a lot of swearing/cussing in this story. If you don't want your OC to be used because of this change, please notify me as soon as you can. Thanks.

**Reviews:**

_Wind Archer- _Thanks for being my first reviewer! By the way, I like your stories! Their really good! Hehe.

_DiamondMonkey-_ Thanks for submitting the first OC! I was really flattered by it.

_Wild Kitsune-_ Thanks for submitting an OC!

_xInfernal-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I like your fics too.and thank you, I'm very flattered!

_Tyra Granger-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I'm glad she hates Katrina.

_Tikytikytavvi101- _Your OC sounded so interesting, but I kind of need a little more information about her. She sounds very cool, but I didn't have enough information about her. Thanks for the review!

_Night Child-_ Thanks for submitting an OC, but I think I'll need a little more information about her too. Thanks!

_Rampant Chaos-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I need a little more information on her though. Thanks for reviewing!

_pishcules-_ Thanks for submitting an OC!

_Shadow InuGirl-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! Can I get a little bit more information on her? But I think I have enough. Thanks so much!

_Silver Suzaka-_ Thanks for submitting and OC!

_Rachelle- _This one is a little bit longer (but it might be because of all the reviews… hehe)! Thanks for reviewing!

_Shadow Tigress a.k.a Kit__- _Thanks for submitting an OC! Don't worry about giving away your email! Hehe. My mom is like that too.

_peachgirl1608-_ Thanks. I try to improve and edit so that I don't have any grammatical errors and I apologize if there is any by accident.

_Saku-chan4-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I might need a little more about her personality.

_Smoke-Angel-_ Thanks for reviewing! It's alright about having no OC's because I have a lot to choose from. And they're all so good, so I'm having a difficult time! The new beyblade character will appear very soon!

_iloveanime123-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! Can I have more information about her? Like more personality, background, and who you want to be paired up with? Thanks! Hehe… I'm glad you like Krystal!

_GOLDEN-CAT-EYES1-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! You did a good job on the description!

­­_Moon Phases-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I liked her description! I kind of need to know who you want to be paired up with.

_FlamesOfFury-_ Thanks! I'm sorry it took me so long to update!

_lilphoenixtears- _Thanks for submitting an OC! I need to know who you want to be paired up with. The description was very good!

_Lincan Iyekiaro Taliban-_ Thanks.

_moriah-andrews-_ Thanks for the review, but I didn't get your OC. You can still email her if you want.

_midnightwhisper-_ Um. Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it!

_ariotlatio- _Thanks for submitting an OC! I really need more information on her, even though I read your story. Thanks so much!

_fall-crystalz-_ Thanks!

_KAT-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I'm not sure if I'm going to put Brian in, but now that you mention it… he is one of my favorite characters…

_cynical.life- _thanks for submitting an OC! I'm not sure if I can pair her up with Kai though… I'd have to change a lot of my original idea, but if it works out I might. If you can tell me someone as a back up pairing that would help me a lot! Thanks!

_CintaAnime4ever-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! I'll need a little more information on her. I'm guess she's paired up with Kai too, but I might need a back up person incase… Thanks!

_ANGEL of DARKNESS-_ Thanks! Krystal might be with Kai, but there are a few people who want to be paired up with him, so I'll have to see. This chapter has some Krystal/Kai, but that doesn't mean that they'll be paired up with each other. But thanks so much for the review! If you still want to send in an OC (it's kind of late though) then go ahead!

_Maresia Eterna-_ Thanks for submitting an OC! It was kind of late, but I still had the time… sort of. Anyways, it doesn't matter! Thanks! And I might need a little bit more information on her.

* * *

**Crossing the Line**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"Morning!" Madison grinned. She still had on her sleeping clothes which were a tight light pink shirt and black pajama pants with little lavender stars scattered randomly. Jade, wearing a light gray tank top and forest green pajama pants, growled in a grumpy manner and sharply poured herself a mug of hot coffee. Madison turned to Krystal, who came out of her room wearing a loose white shirt inside out and light blue and silver mesh basketball pants, and grinned at the dark brown haired girl. Krystal shot an icy glare in return.

"Hn."

Madison frowned. Geez! Was she the only one out of the three who was a morning person! Jade was definitely _not_ a morning person. _Oh well…_Krystal grabbed a bagel and a cup of coffee, then sat down and grabbed the newspaper. Her stormy blue-gray eyes were emotionless once again. Madison noticed her outfit.

"You play basketball?" Madison asked. Krystal took a bite of her bagel, swallowed it down, and took a sip of coffee before looking up from her paper at the violet haired girl. Krystal nodded shortly and looked back down, focusing her attention on the newspaper once more. Madison cleared her throat loudly. Krystal looked back up again and raised an eyebrow.

The three girls found out that they had a lot of things in common and a lot of differences. They got along pretty well, except for Madison and Krystal's small arguments. But they always ended up with Krystal having the upper hand. They shared quite a few classes with each other as well. Jade and Madison spent most of the night giving Krystal a talk about the school. Mostly the cliques, the teachers, the seating during lunch were discussed.

"You play basketball?" Madison said, repeating the same question with more emphasis. Jade almost snorted into her coffee, receiving a sharp look from Madison. Krystal was going to have to get used to talking with Madison as a roommate. Krystal growled in annoyance and slapped the newspaper shut. Madison smirked at the irritated response made by her new roommate.

"Yes. Ever since I was five." Krystal said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Anything else?"

Madison shrugged, but she was actually awed at the fact that she had been playing basketball for twelve years. When the violet haired girl didn't reply, Krystal picked her newspaper back up and continued reading. Jade sighed inwardly, _Another long day… at least we have Krystal now._

* * *

His deep, emotionless crimson eyes scanned the room. Crowded. He _hated_ crowds. He was late for homeroom, seeing that the teacher had already taken role and left to do more errands, but he didn't give a damn. He noticed a hand waving at him frantically and his eyes followed the hand down to its owner. It was Rei and Tala, and another boy sitting next to them. The boy had dirty blond hair and crystal blue-gray eyes. He seemed to be withdrawn from the rest of Katrina's clique, which was where he, unfortunately, had to sit at. He, Rei, and Tala weren't really part of that group, but everyone thought so. The three boys were their own group and sat next to Katrina's group because of Rei's good friend. _One day I'm gonna ditch that slut's group. Tala and Rei aren't too happy either, but Rei's friend Mariah is one of Katrina's closest friends… so that's why Rei feels obliged to sit with them. Tala and I just sit with Rei so he won't feel so… awkward._

Tala looked around the room and found who he was looking for. She was sitting with her typical friend, the light brown haired girl, and the new girl from his homeroom, Krystal Kamiya. Tala quickly looked away, feeling slightly ridiculous for spying on her, and spotted Kai standing silently at the door. He waved the slate haired boy over.

"Hey Kai," Tala said with a small smile. "This is Andrew Yoshimura. He's been my friend since kindergarten, and he's practically my brother… like you and Rei. His step mom decided to send him here, so I asked to principal if he could be our dorm mate, and they agreed."

"Hey." Andrew said emotionlessly. "You can call my Andy."

"Yeah! But only I get to call him Drew!" Tala smirked. Andrew scowled lightly, but shrugged. Kai nodded and gave a small nod of his head as an acknowledgment to the new member of their room. A girl with long silky black hair with hot pink streaks, about 5'7" sauntered up to them. Her dark green eyes flashed with a lustful look. Her uniform was tight fitting and a couple of buttons on her blouse were left undone revealing a lacy black bra underneath, just barely visible. She didn't wear the tie and her skirt was short, revealing her long slender legs. She wore cute pink Adidas casual shoes and wore her jet black hair in a high ponytail.

"Hello, boys," the girl purred. Andrew kept his face emotionless and calm. Kai ignored her and sat down in one of the empty chairs. He took out his CD player and swiftly put the earphones in, hoping to drown out all the noise with his music. "Who's the new boy? My name's Katrina Campbell."

"This is Andrew Yoshimura," Rei introduced politely. Andrew nodded and turned away. His eyes met a girl across the room. A girl he recognized. She sat next to two girls, one with light brown hair and another with violet hair. The girl caught his eye for a short second, and he could have sworn that she smirked at him, but it had gone as quickly as it came. He blinked. Maybe he just imagined it.

Katrina smiled and took the opportunity to examine the dirty blond while he wasn't looking. He was certainly well built, with a nice, leanbody. He face was boyish and handsome. She followed his eyes to where he was staring at and when she found out, her blood began to boil with light fury. The outcasts… Oh? And another girl she didn't seem to recognize. _Must be the new girl everyone's talking about. The icy cold, emotionless brunette._ Katrina smirked to herself. She already marked the new boy as her own. Girls in the school knew better than to flirt with _her_ Kai, _her_ Rei, and _her_ Tala. And now a new one. Her Andrew.

* * *

Krystal sat in silence and noticed how Madison and Jade were also quite silent too. Very different from how they were in the dorm. Madison's eyes were dull and emotionless, and Jade seemed withdrawn and was listening to her CD player with a look that clearly said, "I don't give a damn. Bite me."

Her stormy blue-gray eyes looked around and met a pair of eyes, the color almost identical to her own eyes. The boy had short, naturally lightly spiked, dirty blond hair and was talking to a boy with flaming red hair. Krystal immediately recognized the boy and sent him a quick smirk before turning away.

She noticed a Japanese-looking girl with heavy makeup and a tight fitting uniform. There were three other boys by her, excluding the dirty blond haired boy. A boy with flaming red hair and ice sky blue eyes, another boy with jet black hair and warm golden eyes, and the last boy had two toned hair, dark gray and dark blue, with stunning but emotionless crimson eyes. Krystal noticed how the boy with red hair kept on glancing in her direction. Except not at her. She smirked and followed his eyes, which happened to be looking at Madison.

"Madison."

Her voice had a sharp, but pure and rich tone to it. A couple of heads turned, noticing the silent girl. It wasn't very often when she spoke, and now that she did, why was it to the outcast girl? Madison also noticed this and raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment. She didn't like it when people looked at her. She didn't like the attention. And here was her new friend, practically screaming for everyone to stare.

The four teens almost directly across the room noticed the sudden silence of the classroom. Even Kai had set his attention on the chocolate brown haired girl. She was like a goddess, beautiful and held a great amount of authority, as well as respect from everyone. But, she was silent and cold, showing no emotion whatsoever. The brunette sent a cold stare to the unwanted attention, and when the class had resumed its previous state, she proceeded in talking to Madison. But, two pair of eyes lingered to watch.

Katrina had left the four boys to her own friends, finally giving peace to Tala, Kai, Rei, and Andrew. Andrew kept his eyes on the familiar brunette for a short second more, before turning away. Tala's gaze, on the other hand, was on Madison. He took his time in studying her features, wanting to memorize her. She was gorgeous and utterly perfect in almost every single way he could think of. Her jewel-like amethyst eyes, her smooth alabaster skin, her slender and curvaceous figure, she was like a fairy… the only flaw was her title as the outcast. They were on two completely different levels… but that meant nothing to him. _What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet._ Just like Shakespeare wrote. She was an outcast to others, but not to him. Tala tore his eyes off her and continued to talk with Rei.

"Who are those boys in the corner?" Krystal whispered. Jade shot her a slightly weary smile and Madison rolled her eyes. _Them again…_ Madison thought sourly. Her features softened very lightly at the sight of the red headed Russian. He treated her with respect. Yet, she didn't know if he was sincere about it or not. She couldn't understand why he would even bother with a girl like her. She was not one that others would even acknowledge, but he chose to do so. _He even apologized to me the other day…_

"That's Tala Valkov, Kai Hiwatari, Rei Kon (she said scrunching up her nose ever so slightly), and… some new boy the teacher announced. I forgot what his name was..." Jade replied in an equally quiet, but casual tone, subtly pointing out each boy as she said their names. Madison nodded in agreement and Krystal just 'Hn'-ed once, showing that she understood.

Krystal noticed how Madison seemed to have a very subtle soft spot for the red head called Tala. But she couldn't help but notice the boy, Kai, over all four of the boys. He held an obvious cold barrier around him and wore an emotionless mask on his attractive face. There was another emotion she could barely see, it was almost invisible to her sight from across the room, but this girl could not understand the very faint emotion she saw, the one that wasn't well hidden by the slate haired boy. Loneliness. It was almost as if he didn't want to be alone anymore... But, wasn't that the point of being a loner? To be alone? She sat there pondering to herself in complete silence. _But why should I waste my time on a boy I don't even know? _That was the question that struck her thoughts. But deep in the back of her mind, she already knew the answer: _Because he and I are alike._

* * *

Tala watched as Andrew approached the violet haired girl and her two other friends. He felt a twinge of jealousy run though his veins. He immediately tried to calm himself down. After all, she was not his. Rei and Kai, too, noticed that the new member of their small group had walked off to talk to the three lone girls. Madison looked up and the hot boy walking towards them. Although, Jade didn't notice because her eyes were shut, and her ears were relishing the music from her CD. Krystal smirked inwardly, but kept her face devoid of all emotions.

"Here." Andrew said with a small smirk on his face. He handed Krystal a creamy white envelope with her name in a neat cursive on the front. She swiftly snatched the letter from him, not bothering to look as he walked away. Her stormy blue-gray eyes examined the front of the envelope shortly, before shoving it in her light blue backpack. Madison wanted to question her friend, but instead remained quiet, and made a mental note to ask about it later.

Katrina noticed this and glared at the new girl's back. She would deal with this girl. She sauntered up to the three girls who paid no heed if her presence. She looked upon them in irritation and disgust. The Chinese girl was listening to her music with the volume at the maximum, the violet haired witch was purposely ignoring her by doodling in her planner, and the new girl had her eyes closed, as if she was meditating or resting.

They were in homeroom, but the teacher was currently running "quick" errands, leaving another student in charge. She cleared her throat, making her presence known to the three girls. Only Krystal responded… sort of.

"Can I help you?" Krystal's voice was cold and harsh. Jade glanced over, but turned away quickly. The jet black haired girl shot a snotty look at Krystal, who ignored it in return. Krystal gave a blank look at the girl in front of her. _She seems to be _trying_ to intimidate me… too bad it's not working._

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Krystal said in a soft, but mocking tone. Madison smirked, but didn't bother looking up. By now, a handful of students had gone silent, eavesdropping on the conversation that was taking place. Kai, Tala, Rei, and Andrew's attention was also focused on the two girls. Katrina fumed. How dare she!

"Listen, bitch, don't ever talk like that to me ever again. Understood! I am the principal's daughter. And you will treat me with the utmost respect!"

Krystal smirked lightly at the upset reaction. Priceless. Who did that girl think she was? The fucking queen of the universe? What a joke. Jade and Madison ignored the black haired girl completely. Krystal could feel many pairs of eyes on her back, but tried hard to ignore them. She could also feel Katrina glowering at her and forced an icy look on her face. She shot a cold glare back at the principal's daughter.

"I don't care if you're the principal's daughter or the queen of the world. I take orders from no one."

Katrina gasped softy in surprise, before scrunching up her nose and storming away. Jade took off her headphones and looked and Krystal giving her a sincere smile of gratitude, and then placed her headphones back on to continue her music. Krystal smirked ever so lightly and after shooting one last icy look at Katrina, she went and started the new homework she had received.

Kai watched the conversation emotionlessly. He noticed it was the same girl who refused Jason Hampton—or whatever—yesterday. The new girl. _She faintly looks like Andrew. _He cleared that thought away and watched as Katrina stomped back to her group of girls. Krystal Kamiya. That was her name, or that's what he thought it was… he could hardly remember. She was different from most girls… in her looks and attitude. There was something about her group, and he knew they were outcasts, but she wasn't hanging out with them yesterday… she _chose _to be their friend. She was mysterious. And he was intrigued by her.

* * *

_Finally the last damned class._ Jade leaned back in her chair, glancing at the clock once more to double check the time. Only five more minutes… She tried to ignore the endless ranting from the science teacher, but decided it was best if she at least paid attention to the homework. She really didn't like school and never liked paying attention in class, but she still managed to get pretty good grades. She heard a high pitched giggle from the girl across from her. The girl was staring at the raven haired boy, who apparently sat next to Jade. Rei Kon.

Jade rolled her eyes and almost cheered when the teacher dismissed the class. She didn't even know the fucking girl on her table or her name, but she certainly didn't give a damn about the project she was vaguely paying attention to. If it meant having to work with Kon and that other slut, she was definitely out. Jade pushed in her chair, but the girl across from her bumped her making both of their books fall. Jade snarled inwardly and snatched her books, leaving the other ones behind.

"Bitch! Pick up my books too!" The blond snapped. Jade could feel her blood start to boil. She continued to place her books in her forest green backpack, ignoring the busty blond taping her foot. Rei watched in silence, picking up his own books slowly, keeping an eye on the brunette.

"Are you fucking deaf! I said pick up my books, outcast!" Jade fumed and snatched up one of the girl's textbooks. She tossed it sharply at the blond, hitting her square in the gut. The blond cried out in pain, making Jade smirk. She stood up smoothly and calmly walked out of the classroom, as if nothing happened at all. Rei stared after the pretty Chinese girl, but was kind enough to pick the blond girl's remaining books up. He silently walked out of the classroom, thinking about a certain girl he used to know.

* * *

Krystal smiled very slightly, it was barely a smile, but Jade and Madison caught it. Krystal looked down and picked at her lunch. Her second lunch at the cruddy Academy, but this time it was with her two new friends. And she was proud of it. She and Madison were currently talking about the teachers in the school, for example the gullible ones and the ones that hit on young girls. Jade was just adding in comments here and there, while eating _and_ listen to her CD player. _Talk about multi-tasking._

"Bitch!" A blond smirked, as she walked up to the table. Jade didn't look up, but recognized the voice as the girl from her science class, the one who sat across from her. Krystal looked up silently and raised a delicate eyebrow. Madison looked up as well and sighed. She put down her fork and turned to face the blond. But Jade saw Madison and stopped her. This was her problem to take care of.

"Yes?" Jade replied calmly. She could feel her blood starting to boil again. This bitch was just begging for a fight. But, being the normally calm and in control person, she decided she would try to avoid having a fight. Especially since it was the beginning to the new school year, she didn't want to start off with detention. Not that she hasn't been to detention before though. The blond girl, whom Jade remembered was called Jill, growled fiercely, or what she thought was fiercely, but to Jade it sounded more like a weasel with a bad cold.

"Don't 'yes' me, bitch! You know what I came here for!" Jade's face was slightly perplexed. Actually, she had no damn clue why the blond was here. It couldn't possibly still be because of the small incident in science class… could it? Jill had a couple of girls standing behind her, and Jade guessed that they were there to back the Blondie up if a fight _did_ start. Jade almost sighed, what did she do to deserve an ugly classmate wanting to pick a fight with her? Besides, usually people would just ignore her, saying that she wasn't important enough to pick a fight on. Some even said she wasn't good enough. She just couldn't take it any longer.

"Oh? What would someone like you want to take care of with a lowly outcast like me?" Jade's voice sneered. Madison glanced up and frowned. Jade's temper was starting to flare up, and that was definitely bad… especially for Jill. People were staring to listen in on the conversation. Tala, Rei, and Andrew looked on, but Kai ignored it and continued eating his lunch. Katrina watched and silently cheered Jill on.

Rei frowned and looked down at his pasta, picking at it with a sad look on his face. He missed having to calm her down when her temper rose. He was the only one who was able to. But things changed… _I can't help but miss our friendship. _He actually had a crush on her, which was why he didn't date. Even after their fight, after their friendship broke apart, he never dated anyone. He missed being by her… But she didn't miss him. He didn't blame her, it was his fault their friendship was ruined.

"Shut up, bitch! Know your place as an outcast!" Jill's voice grew louder and louder in anger. Jade's eyes narrowed and she stood up abruptly. Jill flinched in fear, trying to hold her disposition. Krystal glanced at Madison, who seemed to be upset too. Rei's head shot up quickly. Bitch! How dare she talk to Jade like that! Jade's eyes darkened slightly into a dark forest green color. Madison and Krystal looked at each other. _Uh oh…_

Rei couldn't even think anymore, he stood up sharply and walked up to the blond girl. Jade glared at Rei, but he ignored her look and stood next to her. Katrina scowled from the table she was sitting at. What the fuck was Rei doing! Was he actually defending that loser?

"Hey. Leave her alone."

Jade scowled. She didn't need his pity. She was doing just fine on her own! Why the hell was he here anyways! Jill frowned at first, but her expression changed into a playful pout. Jade took one look at the horrible attempt to pout and nearly gagged. It looked like her bottom lip was swelling from an allergic reaction or something! _Eww…_ Rei noticed this as well and grimaced inwardly.

Tala snickered at his friend's situation. Rei always tried his hardest to be polite and calm, but sometimes he had his rash moments. Andrew suppressed an amused smirk. What an odd school… Outcasts. A clichéd school full of labels and cliques. But those three girls were gorgeous! Well, actually the two girls were gorgeous. The blue-eyed brunette was pretty too, but he couldn't think of her in that way. _They don't really seem like the outcast type of girls… rebel, maybe, but not outcasts._ He already knew the violet haired vixen was out of the question because Tala was infatuated with her. Although he didn't exactly tell Andrew he liked her, but it was kind of obvious by the way he stared at her when he thought no one was looking.

"Re-ei! She was being a bitch! Didn't you see her in science today! Someone's gotta show her where she belongs!"

"How about I show you where _you_ belong?" Jade snapped as she balled up her fists, swiftly getting ready to punch the daylights out of the Blondie. Rei's eyes widened and he grabbed her arms out of instinct, making her freeze in surprise. Katrina fumed in her chair and Jill quivered in fear. Rei ignored all the eyes that were on him and dragged a very stunned, but still upset brunette out of the cafeteria. Madison stood up and grabbed her plate, then quickly threw her lunch away. She motioned for Krystal to follow her and both girls hurried after Jade.

Tala and Andrew stood up and headed out the cafeteria doors, only to have Tala come back in and drag Kai out. Jill burst out into tears with her friends comforting her, telling her that Jade was a bully and that Rei protected her from the outcast bitch. Bullshit. But that was the way the cookie crumbled at Campbell Academy. Katrina was almost shaking in rage. Those three girls were asking for it… at least there was only three of them. She could take them down.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Let me go!"

Jade had recovered from her shock and was now trying to pry her wrists out of Rei's firm grip. Rei looked away with a sad expression, but covered it up quickly before looking back. Her eyes were still a dark forest green, but Rei couldn't help but notice how hot she looked when she was mad. Her bangs,usually parted in the middle and framing her face up to her chin, were strewn across her face.

"Calm down, Ishida." Rei said softly. They were in an empty hallway, a good distance away from the cafeteria. Jade struggled more. She wasn't weak and Rei knew it.

"Let me go! You should even be near me!"

She was an outcast and he was one of the hottest guys in the school. So why the hell was he helping her, let alone touching her! He pissed her off! Yet, she was grateful that he pulled her out of a possible fight. But it was over, so why the hell was he still holding on to her? It's not like she's going to go back in and pick a fight with the blond! She's probably kick Jill's ass anyways. Kon was only asking for trouble from Katrina. Rei and her were on two completely different sides of the social chain. People like her just didn't mix with people like him. It was as simple as that.

"I don't care." He replied quietly. Jade stopped struggling for a second after hearing his comment, before resuming even more upset than she was before. But Rei seemed to understand why she was so pissed. His hands were getting sore from trying to hold on to the brunette. He sharply turned her arms and pushed her against the wall with her his hands pinning down her own at her sides. He lightly place one foot over both of hers, making sure she didn't kick him in order to free herself.

"Don't give me that crap, jerk." Jade said glaring coldly. Where were her damn friends! Especially Madison! What was taking them so long to come and get her? Rei kept his face emotionless, but her comment stung him. He looked into her eyes and noticed that they were starting to return to their original hue.

Jade couldn't help but notice how close their faces were. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek and tried not to stare into his warm golden eyes. Their bodies were practically touching each other and although it was slightly uncomfortable, it was also very exciting. She tried to glare at him, but failed miserably.

Rei looked down at her and watched her lick her bottom lip subconsciously. Her lips were full and a soft pink color. Rei couldn't stop himself as he leaned down and captured her lips in his. He pressed his lips softly against hers, knowing well that he was at risk of being caught by someone, being pushed away by her, or even receiving a slap from her, but he could havecare less at the moment.

Jade's eyes widened as his lips moved against hers gently. She wanted to rip away, but she just couldn't. She wanted to cry, scream, and hit him, but she didn't. His lips were like silk against hers. She gasped softly as his tongue ran across her bottom lip. As she gasped, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She felt his hot tongue explore the cavern of her mouth, but at the same time, silently begging her to respond. She could feel her knees weaken slightly and her thoughts became fuzzy. She couldn't push him away because of his firm grip on her and she wanted to struggle more, but she just couldn't do it. Her eyes slowly closed, as her body gave in.

Rei felt his heart pound as her tongue tentatively met his. It was a soft and gentle kiss, but he could feel sparks. His hand was beginning to loosen its grasp on her arms, but he tried to hold on a little bit longer. She tasted delicious, like vanilla, which made Rei want to kiss her even more. He craved her lips. Their tongue danced with each other and their lips molded together, silently getting caught up in the moment.

"What's going on?"

Jade's eyes flew open in shock. All her senses rushed back in an instant. Rei seemed to have a similar reaction as he quickly pulled away and even let her wrists go. Tala, Kai, Andrew, Madison, and Krystal stood a couple of meters away. All five teens were staring and were speechless. What the hell was going on?

* * *

The next chapter will have the two OC's I'm pretty set on using and possible the person their paired up with (Johnny or Miguel or Brooklyn or Max). I hope you like the new chapter and I'm sorry it took so long for me to post it. For those who submitted an OC, this is your final chance to add more information about them especially since many people forgot to put who they wanted to be paired up with… and that was pretty crucial.

I will be reading my email: (L-zero-N-E-W-zero-L-F is how it is written) and the reviews I get for anyone who wants to add more on their OC. Some OC's were hard to decide on because I didn't have enough information on them. You might want to leave your email addresses too incase I need more information on your character. Thanks for being so patient.

Also, there are a couple of people who want to be paired up with Kai, and there was one person who really wanted Kai to be with Krystal so I need help on who to pair Kai up with. Originally, I planned on it being Krystal, but I _might_ be able to change it. I'm not sure, but I might. So here's the new question (last chapter was the OC form):

Who should Kai be paired up with:

A. Krystal Kamiya (my character)

B. Another OC- you can choose one from the review page (one that is already posted. Sorry but I can't have people adding more OC's just to be paired up with Kai), and if you have more than one account or if you go on anonymous just to help your friends than I might not consider this because this poll should be fair to me and the other readers who like the Kai/Krystal pairing.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I really like getting suggestions on what to put in each chapter, that way I can add in more ideas and make this story better. Thanks!


	3. Romance and Drama

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kai, Tala, and Rei. But I own Madison, Jade, the school, and Katrina.

**Note: **thanks for all the OC's! I'm sorry I can't use them all! They were all so good! I had a super hard time deciding… I might use one more OC, but I'm not sure yet. It's too confusing with too many characters, so if I _do_ use another OC, it'll be later on in the fic.

I changed the rating to M (or R as it used to be) because of possible lime scenes. I'm not into writing lemons, so they will be short limes. There will also be a lot of swearing/cussing in this story. If you don't want your OC to be used because of this change, please notify me as soon as you can. Thanks.

I'm SOOOOO sorry for taking so damn long! I blame it on summer school and writer's block. Sorry if this chapter wasn't what you were expecting… (cries) I had such a hard time. But I will do my best to keep getting chapters in as soon as possible!

**Reviews: **Thanks to all the reviewers! I'm so sorry I took so long, but school is coming to an end, and I wanted to concentrate on my grades and finals. Thanks for all the OC's! I have so many reviews… I want to cry. Thanks for all the feedback!

_Kuraiai_- I'm sorry to tell you, but Kai's going to be paired up with Krystal. Although, she's not going to be very similar to him in later chapters because her personality will change as the story moves on. I'm sorry if they seem like Goths (even though none are… Madison appears as one, but she doesn't wear black and she just plain isn't one. XD My friend, who Madison is partially based on, _is_ punk though.) And about the stat thing? More will start to change as the story goes on… Not everyone in reality cares about their stats, but deep inside… most people do at some point. It's just part of growing up. I hope to get Yuugi in soon.

_Cerulean Gemini_- Hehe. Thanks! I actually didn't mind that the readers wanted their OC's paired up with Kai! But thanks for the support! I don't mind if my OC's aren't that great because, as you said, the story evolves on its own. I love to write because of that reason. Anyways, I hope that you can give me more feedback on how to make it interesting… I don't want to disappoint you (you're reviews are fun to read and you give very good feedback/tips). Ah… and the Rei and Jade scene? More will be revealed later on… (I love saying that) I will bring Sora in as soon as I can Thanks for all the feedback and the long reviews. I enjoy reading them! Oh and about Krystal opening up? I know too, from my personal experience… She did open up pretty quickly, but in chapter 4, you'll see why…

_darklove_- You're not a dork. Hehe. Thanks for always for reading and reviewing to my fics. I always look forward to your straight forward advice. And yes… I had tons of OC… and I couldn't use them all! And I understand what you meant about everything happening so fast. I'm try to take it down a notch.

_blah_- Thanks for being so supporting! Hehe. I'm getting my other fic done as soon as I can. Yes, I try to add in humor even though I clearly suck at it. And I won't be taking these fics down anytime soon, so don't cry… OH! And it just so happens that I finished a picture (well actually a drawing out of pencil) with the DestinyBladers! Which I'm proud of and I'll send it to you! I hope you get it… Although I think I drew Jade and Krystal very slightly too tall. Thanks again!

_lilphoenixtears_- Yeah. They often cut the reviews short. It's happened to me too.

_ArcangelCZ_- Thanks for the OC.

_luvisgood_- Thanks! I'm very flattered! Here's the new chater! I'm sorry I made you wait.

_asfoora_- Thanks. I'll do my best to make each chapter the best I can!

_Malissa_- Thank you SOOOO much! I'm deeply flattered by your comment of wanting to be someone in the story! I wanted to cry in joy when I read that! That's the best comment I've gotten in my life! Chapter 4 will have some holding hands (hehe) and tons of smirking! I can't thank you enough! Thank you!

_ShadowInuGirl_- Hehe! Okay… no figure skating it is then. I didn't see that movie… was it good? Anyways, thanks so much! Begging? Oh my gosh! I slaved my butt in order to get this up as fast I could (your begging motivated me… I didn't want to make you beg).

_Nyx_- Thanks! I'm glad you read _It Might Be You_.

_SandraZaniteZanitiy_- Thanks for voting. Here's the new chapter.

_EvilTwinKae_- Thanks! I can't believe I made your jaw drop! Hehe.

_kelblossom1128_- A 10! Thanks so much! I have to apologize that it took so long to post this chapter. I'm sorry if I'm lazy, I'm sorry that I chose chemistry as my summer school course, and I'm sorry I had freaking writers block! Best? Heh. Probably not, but I thank you so much for the extremely nice comment. Your reviews really motivate me to get each chapter done as quickly as I can.

_SnowLionnoMiko_- I'm so glad you read my fic, even if it's an OC story. And thanks for the OC.

_Chelayna_- Thanks! I'm sure you write even better than I do… and thanks for your OC.

_Rynx- Too-Genki_- Thank you! I read every review, and you're made me equally as happy as the rest. Thanks for the vote, although Krystal doesn't represent me at all (unlike usual OC's). Hehe. And thanks for the comment about my OC's.

_Izzy_- Thanks a bunch. Thanks for the OC too! And I'd be more than happy to give tips… I just hope they don't suck because I could use some tips myself.

_xInfernal_- Nah. Don't be sorry! Thanks for reviewing though!

_Star-kari-Star_- Thanks! And to answer your question… yes (no use in hiding that fact). Hehe.

_Shadowlighting_- Thank you! Here's the new chapter.

_Beyblademaster_- Thanks for the OC… cool last name. I'm pretty sure Kage means shadow.

_cynical.life_- Thanks for the other OC. It wasn't terrible, don't worry. Thanks for taking the time to make such cool OC's!

_Simoo_- Yes, emotions will rise. And Krystal's personality will show more later on. I'm so glad you liked it. One of your favorites, huh? Thanks. I'm flattered!

_ShadowTigressa.k.a Kit_- Here's the new chapter.

_raindreamer7531_- Thanks! Hopefully you only have two thumbs. Hehe. I'm sorry it took so long to update. Another comment about Andrew/Krystal! Oh my… well, I guess they would look cute together, but I don't think that pairing would work out too well. I'm glad you like him though. Yeah, Madison looks like Tomoyo Daidouji a lot, but their personalities are quite different. And the lavender highlights are different, thanks for noticing. I'm also glad she's your favorite character, it makes me pleased to hear. And lastly, about the pairing, you'll just have to read to find out… hehe.

_TaeYeonIm_- Thanks! Hehe. Yeah. Jade and Rei have a lot of explaining to do. Andrew/Krystal huh? I guess they did hit off, but I'm honestly kind of iffy on that coupling. Actually (no offense) I almost fell off my chair when I read that. But I can see why you felt that way. Anyways, the connection will come up soon. And I'm sorry for taking so long to post.

_StarAngelCaelumSunSoar_- Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

_ali_- Thanks! Yeah, most schools have the typical cliques.

_ariotlatio_- I'm sorry it took so long. Thanks!

_MM_- Thanks.

_Glimmern-glitas_- Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

_Ahn_- Thanks for the OC, even though, yes, it was late. It's okay, I still read your OC information and looked over it.

_fire spirit of hell_- Thanks to both you and your sister! Hehe.

_Kausi_- Thanks!

_Tikytikytavvi101_- Thanks!

_peachgirl1608_- Yeah… it's rough. I'm very flattered by your comment. I always try to write each chapter as long as the one before (although it's quite long due to answering reviews… hehe) and without any grammatical errors (although sometimes I have quite a few due to accidents and sometimes messes up with the spacing and deletes letters from words… oh well… I still love and I don't mind going back to fix my errors). Anyways, thanks so much!

_GOLDEN-CAT-EYES1_- Thanks! Here's the new chapter.

_xoOBlackDragonOox_- Yes. I understood. Hehe.

_Saku-chan4_- Thanks! Yeah, Kai and Krystal would be quite interesting, huh? Hehe.

_Wild Kitsune_- Thanks! Hmm… thanks for the speech, it wasn't stupid. In fact, it's true, but I'm always up for a good challenge. Hehe. Sorry for the wait. I'm forcing myself to do homework faster in order to update (yes, I have homework… and it sucks).

_Silver Suzaku_- Thank you!

_lil phoenix tears_- Yeah. That happens to me too. I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter. Thanks! –picks up all the cookies and candies with a grin-

_Wind Archer_- Thank you! I really like your stories too. I hope you update soon and I like your Kai/Tala fics. They're really cute. Hehe.

_eMiLy06_- Thanks! Hmm… Kai and Krystal do have things in common and I'm sure their relationship will be quite interesting… hehe! Anyways, here's the new chapter.

_pishcules_- I'm glad you asked those questions. The letter that Andrew gave Krystal will come up in the next chapter. And this chapter has the continuation of the kiss. Jade and Rei's past is going to appear in later chapters, but you'll get an idea soon. Thank you for asking and here's the new chapter.

_MaresiaEterna_- Yeah. I hate that too… Thanks for finding something to write. And thanks for telling me to take my time, I hope it's worth the wait. Yeah… the three girls are alike and different. But that's just hope friends are! Hehe. I love cliffhangers, they bring suspense and surprise into the story… I'm sorry though (but at least it was surprising, huh?).

_MoonPhases_- Kai and Krystal make an odd pair. Both cold… or at least on the outside. Krystal will be a surprise later on. Here's the new chapter and _It Might Be You_ is still in work. I'd say almost half way done with chapter 11.

_Untoachable_- More Kai action is coming right up. There will be a lot more in chapters 5-6. Thanks!

_FlamesOfFury_- Thanks! Perfect? I don't know… no couple is perfect (I should know… stupid boyfriends… hehe), but I'm glad you voted. Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it.

* * *

**Crossing the Line**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Countless thoughts raced through Jade's mind. Why the hell did she do that! She shot a deadly glare at Rei… or as deadly as she could in her current state. Madison raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the emerald eyed girl. Krystal, on the other hand, was standing quietly with an emotionless look on her face. She noticed that her two friends weren't the only witnesses. Tala Valkov, Kai Hiwatari, and… that other boy were also watching. Jade wanted to scream in frustration, but she just couldn't. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and she was slightly trembling. The reason for her trembling was not because she was frightened, but because she was in rage. She hated him. 

"I hate you, Rei Kon."

And with that, she sharply turned on her heel and stormed away. Rei's eyes were downcast and he quickly turned in the opposite direction and hurriedly walked off sending an apologizing look at Jade's friends. Madison leaned against the wall and sunk down to the ground. She could feel a headache growing. She knew why Jade hated Rei… or at least the most part of it. Jade wasn't to keen on telling the whole truth behind why she hated his guts. Madison looked up to her remaining friend, only to meet a pair of ice blue orbs with a hint of concern in it. She felt her cheeks heat up ever so lightly, but kept her calm mask on.

"Where are you! I'll kill you for turning Rei against me, you witch!"

Krystal smirked lightly as the blond, Jill, started walking towards them. Her have was red from either anger, embarrassment, or both. She caught Madison's eye and shot her a look that clearly said, "I'll take care of this." This caught Andrew's eye, but he remained quiet. Krystal ran past the blond girl and "accidentally" bumped into her, knocking her to the floor. Krystal smirked at Jill for a short second before running off down the hallway. Jill stood up quickly, growling in an infuriated manner, and ran after the outcast that dared to push her. _So much for starting the year off in a good note._ Madison sighed inwardly. Maybe she was just a magnet for bad luck.

After the two girls left, a group of boys followed after. Tala frowned. Jill's friends were going to back her up. If they caught Krystal alone… she could end up seriously hurt. Madison seemed to notice the group of well built boys herself, judging by the concerned look that crossed her once calm face. Andrew was about to go after them, until he heard a loud scream coming from the opposite direction. The same direction Jade stormed off in. Madison's eyes widened, and she hastily stood up. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face the owner of the hand.

"I'll go check it out." Andrew said in a quiet, toneless voice. Madison raised an eyebrow. She didn't trust him. What if he was just acting nice, but he was actually an asshole? Not that he was acting nice in the first place. Emotionless jerk. At least _she _had a reason to be emotionless, but he was the hot new guy! Yet, he was like another Kai, although maybe not as cold as the slate haired boy. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to her best friend… If that blond jerk did anything to Jade… he'd be dead in the blink of an eye.

"Trust him." She looked over to the red headed Russian. Did he just order her to trust some random guy! _Hmph. _His voice was sincere and concerned, yet his face serious. Only his voice gave away how he felt. She nodded hesitantly, which signaled Andrew to go. The dirty blond haired boy ran off in the direction where the scream came from. Jade would be okay, but what about Krystal? Madison was positive Krystal was a tough fighter, but even she wouldn't stand a chance against all those guys!

"Kai went to get her."

Madison looked up at Tala before looking around the area. How did he know what she was thinking about? Oh well. He was right any ways. The slate haired boy was barely visible in the distance, walking calmly down the hall where Krystal ran through. _What the hell am I doing! I can't trust these people! They're with the head bitch! _Madison's mind was throbbing. Should she go and rescue Jade first? Or Krystal? She was perfectly aware that both were capable of taking care of themselves, but she was their friend! And that's what friends are supposed to do. She needed to back one of them up.

Tala seemed to be getting the general idea of what she was thinking. _So she doesn't trust people like… me. _He didn't blame her. A broken feeling shattered through his chest, but he kept a strong hold on his calm composure. He already knew that she wouldn't trust him… after all, they were complete strangers towards each other, only knowing the other by a mere "title". He knew her as the "outcast", although he never saw her that way. She would always have the same grace and beauty as an angel. _Damn. I'm getting _way _too sappy. _And she knew him as the mischievous jerk… probably. _I guess I am a jerk for being such a coward. Maybe… I should… start to stick up for others… others I care about._

"Please, Madison," He said her name cautiously, but enjoyed the way it rolled gently off his tongue. It was the first time he had ever said her name out loud and he was pleased with the way it sounded. Madison snapped out of her thoughts and sharply turned to face him. Did he just call her name? Her blank mask was replaced with a shocked, yet slightly wary expression. "Trust me… just this once. I promise that my friends would never harm yours."

Madison slowly recovered from her shock, and her stunned face was now in a calmer state. She searched his crystal sky blue eyes. She found the faintest hints of sincerity and kindness. But what if he was just using her? After all, she was a loner. Why would he even be talking to her? Something told her that he was trustworthy… but could she really afford to take that risk?

* * *

"You're gonna die now, bitch!" 

Krystal couldn't help but smirked at the pathetic slut. As much as she hated to admit it, it was fucking hilarious. Being chased by a crazy love-sick girl… not to mention jealous… that was just _too_ funny. Krystal caught sight of the slightly plump, very upset blond. She frowned inwardly when she saw that a group of boys were right behind the blond girl. What a dirty trick. Bringing in a gang of boys to back her up.

"You're that Chinese brat's new buddy! Well, no matter, I'll just take you down first!"

Krystal held in her laughter. What the hell! This girl was one crazy blond. _She's absolutely off her rocker._ This new school was a joke. How could it be the top boarding school if it allowed lunatics like that blond girl attend! Krystal cleared her mind of the wild thoughts.

"Hn." Krystal replied coldly. She cringed mentally at the well built guys cornering in on her. She could take them on, but she didn't want to get detention on her first couple of days. Her mother would kill her. Literally. A boy with dark red hair shot her a cocky smirk and walked up to her, until he was only an arms length away. The stereotypical big-headed jock… Krystal rolled her eyes mentally. _Out of all the schools… it had to be this crazy place._

"Hey. You're pretty hot… how about you go out with me? I'll save you from Jill…" Krystal rolled her eyes and gave him an icy glare. As flattered as she could have felt, his comment didn't flatter her at all. It made her feel disgusting and filthy. Her emotionless mask broke into a displeased frown as the red head tilted her chin up with his large hand. She slapped his hand away and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. It was a childish thing to do, but it was a reflex action she had often done in the past.

"I don't need saving." Her answer was cold and sharp. She didn't need a knight in shining armor, especially _not _this creep. The red head glared at her and motioned for the other boys to move in. She was backed up against the wall and the boys were starting closing in on her fairly quickly. Her face was uncaring and emotionless towards the current situation, but in her mind she was slightly annoyed. She felt a rough, callused hand grab her smooth wrist. Her stunning stormy blue-gray eyes narrowed at the gang of boys. Should she fight back? _But I don't really want to receive detention on my second day…I guess I better try make a run for it. Fighting back will be my last move…_ _I won't fight. And if they dare hit me… well… they won't. That's for sure._

"Hmph." A pair of emotionless crimson eyes stared at her. It was that boy from her homeroom. Krystal watched as the gang of boys backed up from her, every boy except for their leader, the red head. Krystal noticed the fear of the other boys. The slate haired boy probably had a tough reputation, seeing that even the red head leader held fear in his eyes.

Krystal took the opportunity to get a better look at the cold, yet well known Russian. Or at least that's what Jade and Madison told her. Hmph. Russian… His silky dark gray bangs fell across his forehead lightly, covering his crimson eyes. His skin was only very slightly tanned, even in the warm, beautiful weather at the school. His naturally disheveled hair was attractive, but the cold gleam in his eyes seemed to pierce through others. Krystal figured that most girls in the academy like the bad boy types. Typical.

"Get lost." Was the calm, but icy two words that came out of the slate haired Russian's mouth. The leader hastily rounded up his gang and the bunch scrambled away. _Pathetic…_Krystal remained silent. Kai sent a cold look at her, one that usually ran shivers up and down people's spines. But not this girl. She didn't even flinch at the harsh expression. _I guess I won't be getting any thanks from her… not that I want any. What an arrogant girl._

"It would be rude of me not to thank you," Krystal said breaking the silence. She honestly didn't give a damn if the boy was listening to her or not, but she could leave without saying this. She doubted he would care whether she thanked him or not, let alone politely. The cold wind caressed her face and played with her soft hair. She looked at him with an icy look from the corner of her eyes, not bothering to face him properly. "But then again, I didn't ask for your help."

Kai stared emotionlessly at her back as she walked away. _Hn. Whatever. _He didn't expect a thank you from a girl like her. She was different from other girls. So different, that, now, he was even more intrigued by her.

* * *

"You pervert! You thought you could sneak up on me didn't you!" 

A pretty girl with naturally highlighted rich brown hair glared darkly at a cowering raven haired boy, yet she held a cool composure. Her chocolate brown eyes were icy and shot a deadly glare. The slender girl was about 5'9" and had beautifully layered hair that reached down to her lower back. Her skin had a soft Mediterranean glint and she was overall extremely pretty. She wore a black two piece halter swimsuit with a creamy white towel around her waist.

The raven haired boy ran his eyes over her body. The brunette frowned. _The_ _pervert just doesn't get it._ Her first day here and she already disliked the school. Good thing she didn't start classes until next week, which meant she had one week to relax and get to know the campus. But right now, she was having a hard time enjoying her swim… She glared at the cowering pervert.

Andrew had walked onto the pool deck a couple of minutes ago and had noticed a boy spying on a girl in the pool. He was now observing the amusing scene in front of him. He had watched silently as the girl caught the raven haired boy and calmly pulled herself out of the pool, grabbing her towel and confronting the boy. Andrew smirked inwardly as the raven haired boy screamed girlishly in surprise. Now the brunette was glaring crossly at the cowardly boy. _What a weak kid. Letting that girl show him up. Serves him right for stooping so low as to spy on a girl like that. So I guess it was the boy who screamed the first time… Lame. I can't believe I thought his scream was from a girl._

"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to spy on girls…"

The girl turned her head and watched as the dirty blond haired boy calmly made his way over. She had to admit, he was definitely good looking, but he didn't have any right to barge in on her own issues. She could handle this childish pervert on her own. But the raven haired boy scrambled to his feet and scurried away. Andrew smirked to himself and turned to leave. His job was done and besides he came looking for the girl named Jade, not to solve some other issues. Although, it _had been_ amusing to watch. The girl had spunk. And she was cool and collected when handling her problems, unlike most other girls.

His eyes were cold, but they held a slight emotion in them. His dirty blond hair was short and naturally spiked. His skin was lightly tanned and he had a lean, well-built body.

"Hey! Can I get a name or at least a reason why you butted in?" The girl shot him a cool look with her hands on her hips. Andrew sent her an emotionless look in return. The girl narrowed her eyes at him and began tapping her foot lightly. Andrew frowned slightly at the annoying gesture. She knew it annoyed him. After all, she may have had spunk, but he figured she wasn't the annoying type. _So she's just trying to get an answer out of me. And it's working too. _His crystal blue-gray eyes stared directly into her chocolate brown ones.

She liked that. He looked her in the eye, rather than his eyes straying elsewhere. He was one of the only boys she had ever met who looked at her so sharply and right into her eyes. At least she knew he was listening to her.

"Andrew Yoshimura." Anything to get her to stop tapping her damn foot. Andrew sighed mentally in relief as she stopped tapping her feet. Her dark eyes pierced him and gave him full attention. He suppressed a smile. _It's rare when I meet a girl who doesn't blush around me. Actually, it's rare meeting a girl with spunk. Girls nowadays are either cold, slutty, or some other stereotypical label._ "And yours?"

"Molly Brown."

Andrew nodded and turned to walk away. Molly glared at the extremely and irritatingly silent boy. She could see right through him. He wore a mask to block out others, but something bothered her. Although he was cold to her and clearly annoyed by her presence, his eyes gave her a calm and friendly sense.

_Eh!_ _What a confusing kid._

* * *

Jade stormed down the hallway with a sour look. She glared at everyone in sight. Stupid Rei. Why did he have to do that to her! _That jerk! Did he actually think that he could just kiss and make up! Stupid. I'm stupid for even giving in like that!_ She continued toward her next class, fuming down the hallway. She didn't give a damn if people were staring at her! She was to pissed to care any ways. 

She was so caught up in her thoughts and anger that she rammed into a person running down the hallway. Jade's green eyes flared and she turned to give the person a sharp glare.

"Hey. Watch where you're going!" Jade snapped angrily. The girl who knocked her down blinked before her gentle violet colored eyes with hints of baby blue widened slightly. The girl was a little taller than 5'7" and seemed to look quite young compared to most of the juniors. She had shoulder length black hair with red streaks that kind of looked magenta in the shade, but since she was partially in the sun, the hair that was exposed to the light was bright red. She had soft peach colored skin and wore an orange bandana (note: the way that Pan from dragon ball GT wears it) on her jet black hair. She wore the school uniform, which fit her nicely and hugged her slender figure and wore simple white tennis shoes.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me…" The girl said apologizing in a polite manner. Jade nodded, her temper immediately calmed down. Jade gave the girl a gentle smile, and then paused. She had never seen this girl around… was she new?

"I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. Are you new?" Jade asked politely. The girl grinned broadly and replied with a quick nod. _Hm… I guess that's why I've never seen her around… I love her hair! And her eyes are so pretty! She would definitely fit in with Katrina's group, but she's new, so Katrina probably didn't meet her yet._

"Um, excuse me?" The girl said softly. Jade looked up and shot an apologizing look at the new girl. _I zoned out… how embarrassing…_ "Do you know where I can find a girl named Jade Ishida, or a girl named Madison Yagami, or a girl named Krystal Kamiya?"

"Yes, I'm one of them!" Jade grinned. What a coincidence! The girl handed her a paper and took a step back, waiting for Jade to read it. Jade quickly scanned over the paper, her emerald colored eyes sparkling lightly.

_Dear Miss Jade Ishida, Miss Madison Yagami, and Miss Krystal Kamiya,_

_Due to the slight increase in students accepted to the academy this year, the amount of people in one dorm room will be changed from three students to four or five students. The rooms will be renovated and enlarged due to these changes. You will be asked to return to your homes this weekend while the renovations are being completed. _

_Your dorm room will have two new girls. Miss Morgan Moonstone and Miss Molly Brown will be joining you for the rest of the school year and possibly for the rest of your school career at Campbell Academy. We apologize for the inconvenience. _

_Maxwell Campbell (principal of Campbell Academy)_

Jade frowned lightly. It was tough enough having one new girl join them, but what will the other two girls say? _After all, it sucks to be roommates with the infamous 'outcasts' of the school. I just hope the new girls aren't going to be snobby like Katrina or annoying like Jill._ She turned and faced the girl who gave her the letter. Was this girl one of the mentioned roommates?

"Are you Morgan Moonstone? Or Molly Brown?" Jade asked lightly. The girl gave a friendly smile and nodded lightly. Her violet eyes caught the light frown that had faded away.

"I'm Morgan. You must be either Jade, Madison, or Krystal." She replied. Jade smiled as politely as she could. The new girl was so nice and friendly… but, who would want to be friends with them, the out casts of the school? Hell, she didn't even know why someone like Krystal wanted to be her and Madison's friend.

"I'm Jade. It's nice to meet you."

The pretty girl smiled. Jade noticed that she wore a small silver cross necklace on a simple, but beautiful silver chain around her neck. She seemed quiet and reserved, but there seemed to be another side of her. Or at least, that's what Jade assumed. _Everyone has two sides. One is often directed towards strangers or light acquaintances, but the other side is often only shown around friends and family._ Oh well. Either way, it all meant one thing to Jade. New roommates. _Sigh._ This was going to be slightly troublesome. Outcasts just don't mix in with other people… And there was no changing that.

* * *

Madison read over the letter. She had finally found Jade, who denied having any encounter with a dirty blond haired boy, and met up with Krystal at the dorm. Going home for the weekends. That wasn't too bad… or at least for her it wasn't. Jade didn't seem too affected by the news either, but Krystal wore an evident frown on her face. That means that they should have started packing already. After all, tomorrow was Friday. _They should have sent us this stupid letter earlier._

Jade. When Krystal had entered their room, she automatically sent a questioning look at Jade. Jade gave a quick reply, saying that she would tell Krystal soon enough. Madison, on the other hand, wanted a long explanation on what happened with Rei, but Jade refused to tell. Madison, then, noticed how quiet Krystal was, not that it was unusual, but it felt different. Slightly awkward in a way. The urge to ask her what was wrong was just killing Madison.

"Krystal?"

Madison received a prompt 'Hn' from the girl, accompanied with a quick glare. Almost as if Krystal knew what was coming. Madison shot a glare in return, but proceeded in asking her question without any hesitation. Krystal's glare might have scared off many people, but it sure as hell didn't scare Madison.

"You seem distracted."

Jade glanced over at the quiet brunette. Her blue eyes flashed lightly in annoyance, but quickly disappeared. Jade assumed she was annoyed at Madison for asking a question that was near to being personal. But in truth, Krystal was annoyed with herself, for not being able to contain her emotions.

"I'm… fine." Krystal replied. Madison nodded and resisted to urge to point her forefinger and shout, "No you're not! You're lying!" Jade knew this was a lie as well. Who would have known that the emotionless ice queen was so _bad_ at lying? They say you learned something new everyday, and both Madison and Jade had learned their share of the day.

But they decided not to question the cold girl further.

* * *

"Today I will be assigning your first project for this year's English course," Mrs. Blair, the prim English teacher, announced brightly. A couple of groans were heard throughout the class. Tala couldn't blame them. It was only the second day of English and the darn teacher was already starting on the big projects. He stared miserably at the thick handouts that were passed out to each table. 

"You will be working with your table members and each table will be assigned a genre to research," Mrs. Blair said ignoring a girl's upright hand. Madison rolled her eyes and looked down at the fat handout. What a waste of paper.

"Your group will research this topic and write a ten paged report on it. Typed and double-spaced. Your genre must have examples of plays, books, or movies and you will also prepare a short oral report to present in front of the whole class," Mrs. Blair paused for a quick breath before rapidly continuing. "Any questions? Alright. I will stop be each table and assign the genre, after I expect to everyone starting on it right away for the rest of the period."

Madison sighed in relief when the boring introduction was over. She took a quick glance at her group/table members and was quite amused with the sight. The red head was currently _trying_ his best to concentrate while the orange haired girl sitting next to him clung tightly onto his arm. He wore a visible grimace, his nose scrunched in distain.

"Mr. Valkov and Ms. Walker, please refrain from personal activities in my class," Mrs. Blair said with narrowed eyes as she stopped by their table to assign the genre. Tala blinked. "You two can continue your affections _after_ class is dismissed."

Tala stared at the teacher in horror. Hell no. She did _not_ just say that. Madison bit back an amused grin and looked down at the table, trying her hardest not to crack. Clair blushed wildly and looked quite pleased. Mrs. Blair ignored the red head and turned to Madison, who happened to be the most focused in her point of view.

"You're group is assigned to the genre Romance/Drama," Mrs. Blair smiled at Madison, who looked up intently, as if she were actually excited and paying attention. _If I have to suck up to get a good grade, I will. Although I'm probably not to good at it. I've never sucked up before, but seeing that Clair's not going to be doing much work... sucking up is my only option!_ Madison sighed inwardly as Mrs. Blair moved on to the next table. She sucked at English. _It does have its perks though,_ she noted as she looked down at the table again after seeing the red headed Russian's expression. Priceless.

"Oh! Romance and drama! Doesn't that sound like fun, Tala?" Clair cooed. Tala pried his arm away promptly, sky blue eyes still wide in horror, as gave a quick and hasty nod of his head. Only one word could describe how he felt… okay, make that two, no, _three_ words. Violated. Embarrassed. And scarred… for life. _Affections after class!_ _Personal activities! _Tala screamed mentally at the disturbing words that his teacher had uttered. He turned to face the violet haired girl, only to find her with her head bowed down and her hair in a silky puddle on the table. Eh? Was something wrong?

"Madison," he said coolly. What the hell was she doing? Tala stared intently at the girl across from him. Clair had gone to the bathroom, finally leaving him in peace. He lowered his voice in order to avoid having the class look at them. Thankfully, their table was in the far corner of the room. "Is something wrong?"

She looked up and he nearly fell off the chair at her face. She was wearing an amused smile and her eyes twinkled brightly, as if trying to hold in laughter. Tala blinked. He didn't know whether he should be annoyed or happy. He chose the latter, even though he felt that he was both extremely annoyed as well as happy. _She has an amazing smile…_

Madison's expression quickly faded at the return of the orange haired girl. _I can't believe I was smiling like an idiot. Dammit. _She groaned inwardly._ Romance/Drama eh? Hmph. Sounds interesting… considering the love sick baboon of a girl sitting next to Valkov is full of romantic feelings. Yuck._ She looked at Tala who looked irritated and not irritated at the same time. Madison didn't even know it was possible for a person to look like that.

"Announcement! Class! Listen up!" Mrs. Blair shouted. Madison couldn't understand why she needed to shout. The class was silent to begin with. _She must have hearing problems. _Tala seemed to have the same conclusion.

"You will be given two months to work on this! I suggest you get together outside of class in order to get a better grade because we won't be working too much on this after a couple of days. We will be starting our first book, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare."

Tala groaned. _Oh shit. That means I'll be working with Clair. Maybe I should look at the glass half full… at least I get to work with Madison. _Tala shifted his gaze from the teacher to the girl across from him.

All three students were thinking the same thoughts. One dripping in sarcasm, one full of annoyance (although trying his best to see the glass half full… it _clearly _wasn't working though), and the last one bursting with excitement (and, as secretly as possible, lust).

_Romance and drama? Sounds fun._

* * *

I finally got in the two OC's! I was so sad because I couldn't use all of them, even though all of them were (honestly) extremely good. As I said before, I apologize for the long wait. And for those of you who read It Might Be You, the next update is coming along. I'll have it posted in 2-3 weeks maximum. I have freaking tests everyday for chemistry and have absolutely no time (and life… cries). 

The pairing with Kai was pretty unanimous. And it was choice A, Krystal. Yay! Although… I'm wondering if you just voted for her to please me. XD I wouldn't have minded at all if the outcome went the other way. I'm actually stunned that practically no one chose choice B.

And now… the chapter quiz. Because I love getting input on what the reader wants. Here's the new question:

Should there be a love triangle between: (I know it's kind of early for any love triangles, but I don't plan on the triangle happening right away. This is just for me to start planning ahead.)

A. Kai/Krystal/Someone (boy)

B. Rei/Jade/Someone (boy) (Thanks, _Wind Archer,_ for pointing out my mistake)

C. Andrew/Molly/Someone (boy)

Sorry about Morgan. I'll have to bring in the character she's paired up with before thinking about any love triangles.

Tala and Madison seem to have enough with Katrina and Clair.

Rei and Jade have a similar problem with Jill, altough it's slightly different because Rei and Jade knew each other and therefore a triangle with another boy would be interesting.

Andrew hasn't done too much in the story yet, so a love triangle might bring more out of him, although I just introduced the OC so it's still kind of early.

Kai and Krystal haven't interacted with each other too much yet, so if they do have a triangle, it will be later on when they interact more.

If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know. I really like getting suggestions on what to put in each chapter, that way I can add in more ideas and make this story better. Thanks!

_GOLDEN-CAT-EYES1_- Thanks for your OC (Molly)!

_Shadow INUGIRL_- Thanks for your OC (Morgan)!


	4. The Invisible Line

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kai, Tala, and Rei. And I don't own _Gossip Girl_ (the book series). I only own Madison, Jade, the school, the principal, the newspaper editor, and Katrina.

**_Molly_** is owned by: **GOLDEN-CAT-EYES1**

**_Morgan_** is owned by: **Shadow INUGIRL**

**_The newest OC_** is owned by: **Cerulean Gemini**

**Note: **I changed the rating to M (or R as it used to be) because of possible lime scenes. I'm not into writing lemons, so they will be short limes. There will also be swearing/cussing in this story.

I'm SOOOOO sorry for taking so damn long! I blame it on school and writer's block. School's gonna make it hard to update, but I'll do my best anyways.

Ah. And you're probably thinking: "Romeo and Juliet? How cliché…" Sigh. It _is._ But It's the only romance story I can fully remember and it's also one that a lot of people are familiar with (so they'll understand what's going on), partially because I read Romeo and Juliet last year (so it's still fresh in my mind) and partially because it kind of fit in with the fic.

**Reviews: **Thanks to all the reviewers! I'm so sorry I took so long… again. Thanks for all the feedback. I got some crazy sounding email about how replies to reviewers weren't allowed…? But I don't really know if it's true. Anyways, replying always fills up a full page, so I'm going to just thank everyone who reviewed and get on with the fic.

Thanks to everyone who gave some feedback or who like the fic (and sent a review to tell me… it always makes my day).

* * *

**Crossing the Line**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Her rich violet eyes scanned the paper for her name. She was in a fairly good mood due to the restful weekend and was ready to find her new room and get back to her friends. To think that two short days was enough to remodel the large living complex. But, then again, the school was undeniably wealthy and probably paid a fair amount for the quick renovations. It was uneasy knowing that she had to return home, but after the first hour of being with her father, she was at ease once more.

And now here she was. Back at the large school, nearly her second home, even through all the rough times and spiteful looks from being an outcast. But she had a hopeful feeling in her. And after having the weekend back at home to take her mind off academic related topics, not to mention a break from seeing the faces of her classmates, she had sorted out most of her thoughts. Thoughts mostly about the events in the past week.

She sighed softly and made her way to the elevator. Thankfully, the school had moved their items for them, although she remembered that Jade was uncomfortable with the fact that her personal items would be in a stranger's hands. Madison gave her uniform skirt a quick tug and sighed again as the elevator closed. It felt good to sigh. It felt like letting go of all the problems, easing the load off her shoulders.

Madison made her way up to her new room. A slight frown graced her lips right before entering the new room. Thankfully she arrived early, and avoided the crowd of students rushing in, but the down side was that new rooms also meant new neighbors. Before the renovations, her neighbors were one empty room on one side and a group of water polo boys on the other side. Another sigh passed her lips. She couldn't understand why the rooms had to be a different gender in every other door.

She unlocked the door with the door key she picked up downstairs, after looking up her room, and gently pushed the door open with her slender fingers. Everything was new and clean. From the carpets to the furniture. There was even a T.V. and more rooms. Each dorm room was practically an apartment. A smile formed on her face. _Everything is a lot nicer… it almost feels like a suite._

She quickly scanned a room and was surprised to find that she was not alone. After all, it was eight 'o clock (the students had been given Monday off from school in order to settle into the new rooms) in the morning. Most students would have came back by four 'o clock in the afternoon. She, herself, came back only because it felt odd to be at her home on a Monday and she also had planned on beating the crowds of students.

"Krystal?" Madison's voice was hesitant. That was because the brunette in front of her looked like a wreck. There were dark circles under her blue-gray eyes, which blank like usual, only today they seemed lifeless and dead. Her hair looked as if it was once tied up, but strands of hair were loose and the ponytail was now drooping slightly. The silent girl looked pale and even slightly thinner. Madison's eyes clouded in concern.

"Hey." Krystal replied in a tone that told Madison that she wasn't in the mood. Madison shot her a weak smile, and decided to leave the girl alone and check out her room. The dorm was literally huge and each "room" was very similar to a hotel suite. _And that's the reason why the tuition costs so damn much. Kids being high class in this school doesn't surprise me at all. To receive a scholarship would mean practically being a genius. _A school for the rich or brilliant only. A student could be smart, but not rich enough to pay tuition. To get a scholarship meant past the smart borderline and into prodigy. Then there was the case of a stupid kid, whose family was fucking rich and could afford to send their child to the best of the best.

Sometimes life just wasn't fair to the average people in the world.

Madison frowned. She, herself, had to admit that this school was odd in that way, but it was a very good school and was known for graduating very successful people. She was smart, but not in the sense that she was a genius. There were many people who deserved being here more than her. But her father was wealthy and could pay for the tuition. She knew that Jade was similar, but what was surprising was that Jade had a part scholarship helping her family. Madison knew that Jade's family was a fairly average family, but Jade, although it didn't seem like it (no offense to her), was strikingly brilliant.

At first glance, Jade was they type who couldn't care less about her grades. But Madison knew she studied to bring honor to her family. She came from a traditional Chinese family, after all, and she had both the young and the old that looked up to her. Teachers would wonder over the emerald eyed Asian because of the fact that it never seemed like she paid any attention in class. But Madison knew better than that.

Madison walked into her own room, which was fairly small, but comfortable enough for one person. There was a small wardrobe closet with a set of drawers built in for her clothing and the carpet was a smooth cream color. She had passed the kitchen on her way to her room and marveled at the small but nice unit.

"Hello…?" Krystal looked up at the doorway at a girl with shoulder length black hair and brilliant red streaks entered slightly hesitantly. The girl looked slightly stunned when her vibrant violet and baby blue flecked eyes reached Krystal's dull blue-gray ones. Krystal didn't say anything, but Madison heard the girl and hurried out to greet her.

Morgan watched as the blue eyed girl's blank eyes shifted away from hers. Another girl with silky looking violet hair and lavender streaks came out from a room. She was actually hoping that the girl named Jade would be here, since they were already introduced, but it seems that she came far too early. The violet haired girl gave a forced smile and walked up to her.

"I'm Madison." Her amethyst eyes were slightly cold, but nonetheless polite. Morgan noticed a slightly tense air with the two girls and didn't feel like talking. She smiled politely and decided to wander around the dorm and look for her room. She passed by two small bedrooms, both with bags in them, and figured the two girls outside had claimed their rooms already. She found an empty room and placed her huge bags on the ground, silently surveying the room. Clean and comfortable. _Hm… so far so good, _she thought sitting down on the bed.

_Hopefully the girl named Jade will arrive soon,_ Morgan thought quietly, playing with her silver necklace._ The other two seems so hostile._

* * *

Andrew frowned as he sat in his new room. A new room meant new people… and he didn't trust others easily, especially when it came to meeting a new person. It was difficult enough with the emotionless boy, Kai, and the golden eyed boy, Rei. And now they were getting another roommate. Their new roommate wasn't a new student, but he had just entered the school this past year, or that's what Tala told him.

So far, only he had arrived. Tala and Kai were both at Tala's house (Tala had informed him over the phone) and Rei was staying with his uncle. He, on the other hand, had stayed at a hotel during the weekend, having no other place to stay. It wasn't _too_ bad, but it was a little lonely. His crystal blue-gray eyes darted towards the direction of the door, as he heard a voice call out.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Andrew stood up and walked outside, his dirty blond hair was messy, but he hardly gave it a thought. He walked into the main room and saw that the person who called out was an American-looking boy with golden blond hair. The boy's ocean blue eyes met Andrew's crystal blue-gray ones, and his face broke into a friendly smile. Andrew was slightly startled by the other boy's friendly actions, but forced himself to return the smile.

"Hi, I'm Max Tate!" Andrew nodded slowly. So this was their new roommate. _He's very friendly, _Andrew thought to himself. _He also seems very sincere… That's a good sign. I don't think I'll have to worry about him at all, he looks like a person who's fun and easy to talk to._ The boy, Max, gave another quick smile and looked around the large living quarter.

"I'm Andrew Yoshimura," Andrew said slightly hesitant at first. "It's… nice to meet you."

Max smiled warmly and nodded. He brushed his blond bangs out of his eyes and surveyed the room again. Andrew didn't blame him. The newly renovated dorms seemed bigger than ever. Some could even say it was luxurious, even though there was still the fact that it was on school grounds. Max picked up his bags and looked at Andrew with a questioning look.

"So… what room should I take?" Andrew found that question to be very relieving. It silently told him that Max was a polite type of person and that Max understood that he was the oddball out of the five boys. After all, Tala, Kai, Rei, and even he, himself, knew each other from being roommates, even if it was for only a couple of days. Max clearly didn't know any of the boys at all, or maybe he did, and Andrew just didn't know it.

"Any room is fine." Andrew replied. Max nodded and walked out of the living room, taking his bags with him. Andrew glanced at the clock that hung at the top of the nearby wall. Still early. He plopped himself down on one of the large arm chairs and let out a deep sigh. A couple of minutes later, the boy, Max, entered the living room again and took a seat on the couch.

Andrew silently wondered if Max had any friends he'd rather be with. It really couldn't be all that fun just sitting here in silence, especially with a boy like himself. Surely Max had other friends. He just had to have other friends. _I mean, he's not hideous, although I honestly wouldn't know about how popular he is around girls, due to the fact that I'm a guy. Plus the fact that I'm new, so I don't really know anything about anyone at all. Although, he's really friendly, so he'd probably have one or two good friends… right?_ Andrew figured he would probably never know until tomorrow during school. _Maybe he's just being polite. That's nice, but I don't mind sitting alone. _

Andrew's thoughts drifted to the girl he met a couple of days ago. _Molly…? Yeah. That was her name… interesting girl._ The girl had spunk, something that he didn't have. Not that he was a loner or anything (especially not like Kai), but her spunk was different. She actually seemed slightly cold when his eyes met hers. _A hard-to-get kind of girl… _Overall, she was interesting. She was a nobody to him, but an interesting nobody.

_I wonder if Krystal opened the letter yet…_ Andrew scowled at the thought of her _not_ opening it. _I bet she forgot about the darn letter and it's sitting at the bottom of her fucking backpack. Dammit._ And then there's that girl in his Chemistry class who was always snapping at him and their other lab partner for zoning out. What was her name again? Oh yeah. Hilary. _Your typical average schoolgirl. Fairly typical. She's a bit loud (if that counts as un-average). _

But Andrew liked how the girl wasn't popular or stereotypical. She was a pretty cool chick and smart too. Plus the fact that she was pretty cute… when she wasn't yelling at you, of course. _She's Tyson's fond of her though… I can tell by the way he argues back._ Arguing was definitely a sign of affection. At least, that's how it seemed in this generation. _I'll never understand love _or_ girls…_

"Hello? Anyone home in there?"

"Ah!" Andrew yelped and practically jumped out of his skin in shock, as a pale hand waved up and down in front of his face. His heart rammed into his ribcage and he tried, unsuccessfully, to even out his breathing. His crystal-like blue-gray eyes were wide in shock and he had a feeling that the shock had taken ten years off his life span. He glared up at the perpetrator.

"Tala! Damn you! Why I outta—" Andrew stood up abruptly and growled at the red haired boy, his blood still racing from fright. Andrew completely forgot about the new blond haired roommate, his thoughts only on beating up the smirking Russian in front of him. The Russian boy's ice sky blue eyes seemed to mock Andrew, who was already at his wit's end. Before Andrew could do anything to the red head, the Russian turned around and looked at their new roommate.

"Oh. Hi, you're Max, right?" Tala said with a light smile, he had already put his bags away. Max grinned and nodded. Andrew was annoyed at being ignored, but sat down sharply anyways. Max looked at Andrew and then back at Tala, who simply rolled his eyes, telling Max not to worry about the other blond boy. Tala knew who Max was, but decided it was polite just to make sure. Max felt at ease a bit more, but was somewhat still uncomfortable. After all, most boys would be if they were rooming with Tala Valkov, Kai Hiwatari, and Rei Kon.

Tala grew silent and sat down next to Max, not knowing what to say and not wanting to say anything. Andrew noticed Max feeling slightly awkward by the silence and decided on the spot that Max was a decent guy. Max would make a good roommate. And if he didn't, well, than it would be Andrew's fault for being so quick to judge. _Sigh. I hate it when I feel sorry for people. But I can't go being cold to our new roommate, especially since he's such a friendly guy. If he is a jerk kind of guy, he's one damn hell of an actor because I honestly can't tell._

But before Andrew could strike a conversation the door suddenly flew open and a boy with wide golden eyes entered. Tala looked up, his ice blue eyes questioning the raven haired boy at the door. Andrew raised an eyebrow, but he, too, remained silent by the sudden entrance.

"Uh… Hello, Rei…" Max spoke up a little and wore a puzzled look, automatically catching the attention of the black haired boy at the door. Rei stared at the new face for a second before smiling and raising a hand as a respond.

"Hey, Max. Sorry about that, I was—" Rei started, but the door flew open again, rougher than the first time, revealing an almost emotionless teen. The new person at the door would have been completely devoid of emotions if it hadn't been for the glint of annoyance in his crimson eyes. Max looked back and forth at the two teens at the door, confusion written on his peach face.

"Hey, don't go breaking down the door," Andrew said glaring. The slate haired boy ignored the comment and tossed four bags into the living room space. Rei looked down, counting the amount of bags for a second, before his lips curled into a frown.

"You didn't bring my bags up!" Rei said exasperated, looking at the slate haired boy walking away. Kai didn't bother turning around and continued to head into the small hallway to claim his room, ignoring the three boys sitting on the couch and armchair. Rei hurried out and a couple of minutes later, reentered with four bags of his own.

"What the hell were you two doing?" Andrew asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Tala and Max seemed to be interested too, perking their heads up and looking at the Chinese boy. Rei held up his hand for a second and hurried out of the room, claiming the last empty bedroom. He hurried back, ignoring Kai who was on his cell phone in the small hallway.

"I met Kai at the front and thought I could trick him into bringing my bags up for me," Rei grinned. Tala raised an eyebrow, was Rei honestly that naïve? Kai _never_ gets tricked into doing _anything_. Rei noticed Tala's look and shrugged lightly. "I thought it might work because Kai seemed kind of out of it when we were downstairs. Or maybe he just seemed out of it to me. Plus the fact that I feel kind of energized today—"

Kai held back a glare. He wasn't out of it. In fact, he knew that Rei was trying to trick him into bringing the bags up. _I never zone out. He should know that by now._

"I get it," Tala smirked; he knew Max was listening, but he didn't mind too much. Max was Rei's friend. That was good enough for Tala. _Rei said Max is a trustworthy guy so might as well make the poor guy feel more comfortable._ Rei gave Tala a questioning look. "You had sex."

Rei stared at Tala, almost gaping in shock. A slight snort came from the door connecting to the hallway. Kai shook his head in disbelief and walked over, leaning against the wall near Andrew. Max grinned widely at the raven haired teen's embarrassment.

"If he had sex, don't you think he would have that weird glow? And he'd probably be tired… not energetic." Andrew said with a small smirk. His crystal-like eyes held obvious amusement and the young man completely forgot about his anger at the red head. Rei glared at Andrew and Tala, his golden cat-like eyes narrowing slightly.

"You know I've never slept with a girl in my life." Rei replied slightly annoyed. _I felt so refreshed today only becasue the weather was nice. Not because of... sex. _He sucked in an aggravated sigh. He disliked talking about personal things like sex. Of course, he was the kind of guy who thought sex should be done _after_ marriage (and with the one you wed to).

Max bit back a chuckle. _Those four sure know how to make a guy feel comfortable… well… slightly comfortable at least,_ he thought in relief. _Well, Kai's a bit… cold, but he can't be all that bad. Plus, there's Rei, who is already a friend. _

"Be nice to him, guys," Max grinned. Andrew looked over at Max and returned the light grin. Tala shrugged with a small smile and noticed the grateful look Rei shot at the blond boy. Kai stared silently at the scene in front of him. He normally didn't feel comfortable being around people he didn't know, such as Andrew and Max. But somehow… he got the feeling that he would get along with the two blonds just fine.

It would just take a little time to get use to them first.

* * *

Krystal sighed inwardly as she walked alone down the hallway. A feeling of dread filled her as she approached the door to the principal's meeting room. Did she do something wrong? Why did the principal call her? Either way, she wasn't feeling up to meet anyone. _I look like a wreck,_ she though, feeling like a wreck as well. She hastily decided to make a quick stop to the bathroom, just to fix her appearance slightly.

She pushed the handle-less door and made a beeline for the sinks and mirrors. She stared at her reflection, frowning at the dark circles and pale skin. Krystal cupped her hands together and placed them under the faucet, triggering the automatic system. _New technology_, she thought, as the sink turned on automatically and cool water fell into her cupped hands. She gently splashed water on her face, and felt more eased and relaxed as refreshingly cold droplets of water slid down her pale face. The color quickly returned to her face and she smiled slightly, satisfied by her appearance, before heading out of the bathroom.

She reached the room and hesitated slightly before knocking on the door. She stepped back, slightly startled as the door was opened from the other side. A pair of deep chilling violet eyes locked onto her emotionless stormy blue-gray ones. A girl in the doorway with long, silky jet black hair gestured with her lithe hand for Krystal to enter.

"Hello." Krystal said politely to the raven-haired girl. The girl nodded politely in response, her mysterious violet eyes seemed to pierce through Krystal. Krystal casually walked in and noticed the other teens who were seated in the room. _Then I guess I'm not busted? What are all these people doing here? What am _I _doing here?_ Thoughts clouded her mind and she noticed the principal, himself, was no where in sight.

Her eyes drifted around the room, noticing each person. There was a long mahogany table and mobile chairs going around it, with one larger chair at the head of the table. Behind the head chair was a large white board and a bulletin board was located on both side walls. _It's like a large conference room or something like that._ A familiar flash of gray caught her eyes, as her eyes locked onto a pair of emotionless crimson orbs. Feeling uneasy under his powerful, yet blank gaze, she averted her eyes and continued to scan the room.

Krystal felt a sneer being aimed at her and locked gazes again. This time, she came face to face with rich dark green eyes. Katrina Campbell. The queen bee herself… great. The slender raven-haired girl wore a smug look, sitting on the table, right in front of Kai, who was seated on one of the chairs near the other side of the room. Actually, every person in the room was seated in one of the royal blue mobile chairs. She felt awkward noticing the fact that she and another boy were the only people standing.

"Please take a free seat, Krystal," Krystal sharply turned her head and faced the other standing teen. He looked older than her and had messy coffee brown hair. His hazel eyes were covered by glasses and he was tall, but slightly lanky. He blushed wildly when she looked up at him and shakily gestured for her to sit. Krystal ignored the older boy's flushed face and took a seat next to the girl with chilling violet eyes.

The blushing brunette took a seat at the head of the table and cleared his throat. Katrina moved herself into the seat next to Kai and nudged a blond girl sitting next to her, both girls snickering softly. The boy at the head of the table shot a lightly stern look at Katrina, who, in turn, rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

"First of all, we have a guest today, so we'll start off the meeting by explaining things to her," The boy at the table spoke in a clear, yet slightly shaky voice, glancing at Krystal every so often. Krystal noticed there were about ten people in the room including herself, all of which looked like different ages.

"Welcome to the first Cerulean Times meeting of this school year. I am Peter Yokoyama and I'm currently a senior. I'm the chief editor of the Cerulean Times and will be passing my position down to a person who I feel will be able to take over my position. More will be explained about that at the end of the school year," The boy turned his head and gazed at her with a nervous beam.

"As editor and head of the school newspaper, I had to find a new member to join the newspaper staff due to the senior that left last year. The vice principal had recommended a handful of people and I have finally narrowed the list down to you, Krystal," Peter stuttered slightly. "I have been informed that you were part of the school newspaper staff at your former school. Is that correct?"

Krystal, who had slightly blanked out, nodded idly. So this is why the principal called her, to join the school newspaper staff. Great. She felt everyone's eyes on her, which was _extremely_ uncomfortable. The senior beamed at her, which led to soft snickers erupting throughout the room. Krystal scowled mentally. Who the hell said she had to join this stupid staff anyways! They can't just automatically _decide_ she's part of the staff without her consent.

"What makes you think I'm going to join the staff?"

All heads turned her way as her smooth voice cut through the room, automatically stopping the light sniggers. She received a bunch of perplexed looks and noticed that the editor of the staff was gaping at her like a fish. Krystal didn't know how to react. She raised an eyebrow and looked straight at the senior boy.

"W-what?" The brunette spluttered. Krystal's gaze on the brown-haired senior boy changed into a glare. Not only did the school think she was _automatically_ going to join the newspaper staff, but she was already having a bad day _and_ they called her on a ­_non-_school day (a day in which she had planned to sleep and relax). _Someone up there hates me,_ Krystal thought sourly. _I just want to go back to my room and sleep. _

"U-uh. Surely you don't mean that, Krystal! Not just _anyone_ gets _invited_ to the staff! Hundreds of students send in applications and just as many get declined!" Krystal wanted to close her tired eyes and drown out the speech. A bitterly familiar face flashed through her mind, preventing her from zoning out completely. Her mother. _Yuck. Now I'm tired AND I'm scarred. _

"Alright. I'll think about your offer," Krystal said glancing at the clock. Lunchtime. "When should I reply?"

"By Wednesday is fine," The older boy said brightly, his eyes lit up slightly. Krystal nodded and was unsure as to whether she should get up and leave or remain seated. The senior quickly finished her debate, though.

"Alright then! All members will meet again tomorrow, after school! Dismissed!"

Almost everyone scrambled out of their seats, save for Kai and the violet-eyed girl who sat next to her. Krystal stood up sharply and held in a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. She was honestly _way_ too tired to hide her emotions and all that crap. In fact, she didn't even want to _think _about joining the newspaper staff. _But I guess I have to, _she thought sourly. _Mother will punish me for passing up an opportunity to raise my family's name. _She blinked sleepily and made her way out of the room.

"The principal wants to see you."

Krystal turned around at the calm voice that seemed to be directed towards her. It was the mysterious violet eyed girl from earlier. Krystal didn't bother hiding her puzzled look. _Is she talking to me?_ The girl pointed to her and nodded.

"You."

_Oh…_ Krystal thought. _She _was_ talking to me. _Krystal could feel the piercing stare of the girl and nodded in response to the statement. She bit back a weary sigh and turned around, heading for the opposite door that lead to the principal's conference office. She turned her head back to ask the violet eyed girl a question.

"This way… right?" Krystal asked the girl softly. The girl nodded and pointed to the door at the back of the room. Krystal muttered a small, 'thanks' and made her way to the back room. She vaguely heard the violet eyed girl turn away, due to the slight swish of her skirt and the girl's name being called out by the editor boy. Or at least… that what she figured the girl's name was. _Sora,_ Krystal noted to herself. _Hm… that name rings a bell. I think I remember Madison talking to me about a tarot reader named Sora, whom she talked to once in a while… Perhaps that's her. _

Krystal placed a pale slender hand on the doorknob, trying to gather her thoughts and pull herself together, when she heard an annoyed grunt behind her. Her head whipped around and her stormy blue-gray eyes met a pair of deep crimson ones. The slate-haired boy. Kai Hiwatari. _Oh!_ She thought with slight surprise. _I guess I'm in his way… _

She opened the door, trying to ignore the tall boy behind her and stepped inside. The cool air conditioned room made her shiver lightly and she heard the door shut behind her, thanks to the slate-haired boy. A middle-aged man with gray-streaked, jet black hair motioned for the two to come closer. His emerald green eyes sparkled kindly, quite unlike his daughter.

"I'm sorry I had to bother you two on your day off," The principal said sincerely. Krystal found it difficult to relate the kind man standing in front of her to the snobby girl that had told her off a couple of days ago. The boy behind her only replied with a light, 'Hn'.

"It's alright," Krystal said politely. "I don't mind."

_Okay…_ Krystal admitted inwardly. _So I kind of mind… a bit. _If it was important, it wouldn't be _too_ bad. After all, she still had the rest of the day to sleep off. _There goes my plans of sleeping the whole day through._ The principal smiled and motioned them to come forward a bit.

"I hear that you are contemplating the offer of being on the school newspaper staff?" Principal Campbell said with amused look. Krystal nodded, hiding her puzzled look. _Word sure travels fast… Hella fast._ The principal chuckled lightly and nodded his head in understanding.

"You're quite a stubborn girl, Miss Kamiya!" The principal chuckled good-naturedly. "But, anyways, the reason why I called you two in here was to give you each a parcel that came in the express mail. The rules of express mail is that I, the principal, must give it to you by my own hand. So… here you go! Have a good day, you two!"

The coal haired man gently placed a small box in Krystal's hand and a slightly larger one in Kai's before motioning for them to go out (saying something about "enjoy your day off", which both teens vaguely heard). Krystal clutched the small white cardboard in her hand and walked out of the room, waving her hand in a quick goodbye to the principal. She hardly noticed the slate-haired boy following her due to the bad feeling she had. She glanced down at the package and noticed how there was no return address on the box.

_Oh shit._

* * *

_Zzz…_ Madison leaned a cheek on her knuckles, which was propped up on her elbow. _Where the hell is my group! _She closed her violet eyes, trying to forget the fact that she was sitting in the library's "project and study" room by herself. Okay, so she came a bit early… but only about five minutes early. And ten minutes had past… or that's how it felt like to her. _Sigh._

"Tala?" Madison looked up at the female voice that came from the doorway. _Oh. It's just her. _Clair walked in wearing a short miniskirt and tight white top. _Complete with the designer sunglasses, heels, and bag… _Madison thought dryly. _Amazing. She dressed like this for a project meeting?_ Madison sighed and resumed her previous position, ignoring Clair's pout. _I wonder is Jade met with our two new roommates… if she did, then she'll probably explain the whole outcast deal. Jade's right. I'm sick of being scorned. Stupid Katrina… it's all her fault._

"Tala's not here… Oh well… " Clair sighed, sitting down across from Madison. Madison held back a groan in annoyance. _Thank you, Captain Obvious…_ Madison glanced at the clock in the room. Fifteen minutes. The only person (other than her, of course) who was actually interested in working on the project wasn't here. _Shoot. Tala Valkov better have a darn good reason for being late. _

Five minutes can seem like a _long_ time when you're bored. Actually, to Madison, five minutes was getting pretty close to being the same as forever. So basically, Tala was taking forever to arrive. And both girls were equally annoyed by that. _Is patience _really_ a virtue? _Madison tried not to be _too_ annoyed.

"Sorry I'm late," Tala said closing the door. Clair motioned for him to lock the door after him and Madison nodded in agreement. Even though they had reserved the room, it was common for people to just barge in. Madison assumed that he had just come out of the shower due to his appearance. Wet hair and a clean scent. Clair sat up straighter and Madison lifted her cheek from her knuckles, rubbing her cheek slightly from the pressure. He was panting slightly, indicating that he ran to the room (despite that fact that running in the library was a big no-no). Madison guessed that he just threw on a white shirt, Boy's Varsity Soccer in bold blue letters on the front, and a pair of blue jeans, grabbing his backpack on the way out of his dorm. At least he _tried_ to be prompt.

"I had soccer and I showered… for obvious reasons." Tala said, taking a seat at the head of the small table. He sighed inwardly in relief when both girls's excused his tardiness. One with a simple nod and the other with a brilliant smile. Actually, he would have been on time if Andrew didn't lock him out the dorm room right after they came back from practice. _Wait until tomorrow's practice, Blondie, _Tala growled mentally.

"So let's start!" Clair announced. She brought out a notebook from her tote bag and uncapped her pink gel pen. Madison was slightly surprised with the fact that the orange-head was actually planning on doing the project, but shook her shock off. She took out her own notebook and pencil from her light gray backpack, and then opened her notebook to a blank page. ROMANCE/DRAMA, she wrote in neat letters at the top of the page.

Tala brought out a binder and took out his copy of Romeo and Juliet. After all, Romeo and Juliet was all about romance and drama. As both girls busied themselves with their papers, Tala took the chance to study them a little. Clair seemed to be dressed up for a party or shopping. It would have been very flattering if he weren't terribly captivated be the violet-haired girl. She wore a fitting light pink shirt and sky blue long jeans that clung to her slender form. Her lavender-streaked violet hair was left untied and spilled across her shoulders prettily. Tala hastily looked away, feeling slightly weird for staring.

"Okay… so how are going to do this?" Tala asked, pleased to see that both girls seemed to be taking the project seriously. Clair brought out a couple of books with romance and drama plotlines. Books like _Gossip Girl_, etc. Madison figured the carrot top would to that. _Sigh. Gossip girl is so… cliché._ Madison pulled out a book on Greek Mythology, inwardly wishing for a different topic. _Why did it have to be romance and drama out of all of the genres? I wish she gave us Action/Adventure or Mystery…_

"How about we buy a big display board and use that as part of our oral presentation?" Madison suggested. Tala nodded, that seemed like the most practical method. Of course, Mrs. Blair had suggested a lot of different presentation methods ranging from digital slideshows to acting out a scene from a movie in the specific genre. Clair nodded and pushed her books forward.

"I brought _Gossip Girl_ because it's full of romance and drama," Clair giggled. Tala tried to hide his confused look. _What the fuck is Gossip Girl?_ Tala reached for the book and flipped through a couple of pages. Ah. A girl book. On high school life and sex. Great.

_Full of sex and drugs you mean,_ Madison thought glancing at the cover. _I only read the first book though… But it's definitely drama filled. Romance? I'm not too sure it's romance filled… more like lust, if you ask me._ She pushed her book forward, one that she had just gotten from the shelves of the library. Right before coming into the reserved project room.

"I brought this book on Greek myths," She said tossing her violet locks over her shoulder. _Because it was to only one I could think of at the moment. _She paused and searched for a good reason for why she brought the book. "Because many Greek myths are full of romance, deceit, and drama."

Tala nodded and tossed his small book onto the center of the table. "Romeo and Juliet, the ultimate love and drama story."

Madison agreed. There was no romance like Romeo and Juliet. Not only was it dramatic and full of romance, but it was a classic tragedy. Where Romeo and Juliet both die because of their love for each other. As mushy and corny as it sounded, Madison couldn't help but like it. The story was heart wrenchingly sad. _Kind of pathetic, yet wonderfully beautiful at the same time…_

"Oh, by the way, I have to leave in two hours for water polo practice," Clair announced, cutting through the silence. Tala nodded in reply. She shot him a wide smile, which he forced a small smile back. _After all, I'm going to be on the same table for the entire year. I might as well get used to both of them. Madison, I can get used to. Clair… might not be as easy._ He ran a hand through his red hair and turned to look at Madison, his heart racing slightly as their eyes met.

"I can stay until whenever," Madison shrugged. The faster this project was done the better. Not because she disliked her table members, but because working on a project was never a thrilling thought. Actually, Clair wasn't _too_ bad. She wasn't _too_ snobby and she was willing to concentrate a bit on the project. Or at least… Madison hoped she was.

"Same here." Tala said, concealing his slight glee and nervousness. It kind of bothered him to know that the girl sitting next to him made him nervous. He hardly even knew her, although he was getting closer to her due to the past week. It wasn't lust in his case. In fact, despite all the rumors, he has never lusted over a girl, let alone crush on one in a major way. There were minor crushes here and there but nothing like this. This girl was different to him.

"Alright, so I'll buy the display board," Madison said writing it down. Clair volunteered to buy colorful construction paper, glitter, and glue. And Tala decided to buy tape and index cards. The next two hours weren't a blur, but went by faster than Madison had originally predicted. They chose one Greek myth, the tale of Helen and the city of Troy. They also all agreed (Madison was slightly reluctant though) to use the first book from the _Gossip Girl_ set that Clair had brought, rather than going through all of the books. And lastly, before Clair left for water polo, Romeo and Juliet (skimming through a couple of major scenes).

After Clair left, Madison sighed to herself in relief. She had enough of _Gossip Girl _for today. Unfortunately, Clair had left her book with the two remaining teens, incase they need more information (Clair had also suggested that Tala read it). She and Tala were sprawled on the ground, taking notes and reading the stories from whatever they had.

"This book… sucks." Tala finally spoke, breaking the silence. Her tossed the _Gossip Girl_ book in front of him, between himself and the violet-haired girl. Madison looked up from her book on a Korean soap opera and gave a small shrug. Of course he would think that. After all, _Gossip Girl_ was a girl's book. A book that most girls enjoyed reading, somewhat including herself.

"It's a girl's book," Madison pointed out. His crystal-like ice blue eyes fell upon her rich violet ones. A smirk graced his lips as he picked up another book from the pile they had made before Clair left. He picked up the _Gossip Girl_ book and held it out to Madison, which she then took from him.

"Obviously," Tala said, his eyes never leaving hers. "Do you read books like these too?"

Madison bit back a frown. She placed the book on the ground next to her backpack, unsure of how to answer. _Why is he asking me this? _Madison suddenly felt slightly embarrassed for some reason. She tried to think of an answer, her eyes shifting away from his gaze.

"I, uh… read the first one," Madison replied truthfully. She wasn't one to lie, nor did she care too much about admitting to it. Tala grinned, which made Madison stare subconsciously. It was like she was seeing a whole new side to him. She suddenly felt a wave of guilt pass through her. She had always though of his as a flirt or a jerk because of his social status in the grade, but here he was talking to her and having a friendly conversation.

_Everyone's going mental,_ Madison inwardly declared. _First of all, Krystal doesn't even care that Jade and I are hated by Katrina. Second of all, what's-his-name—oh yeah, Rei goes and kisses Jade as if Katrina wouldn't give a rat's ass (when in reality she would go on a killing spree if she found out). And lastly, Tala's talking to me as if I wasn't an "outcast"._ Maybe _she _was to only one going crazy. Why would someone like Tala talk to her?

"That's good because I'm definitely _not_ going to read it," Tala said with a light smirk. "I don't mean to be… unhelpful, but I couldn't read this book even if I tried."

Madison smiled lightly. _It's hard not to smile. He's kind of funny. But then again, it's hard to trust guys like him._ Tala felt his nervousness fade away as she smiled. Tala groaned inwardly. Why'd he have to fall for her, out of all the girls in the school? Of course, the answer was obvious. Everything about her was perfect. She had all the qualities he looked for in a girl. Her slightly cold demeanor was attractive too.

"Maybe you should try harder," Madison pointed out, pushing the book over to him. Tala shook his head and pushed the book back. His smirk faded away, replaced by a small grin. Madison noticed how good he smelled, even though they were a fairly good distance apart.

"And what if I don't want to?" Tala retorted. Madison smirked lightly at the light teasing that was going on. _Is he flirting with me? Nah… he wouldn't. _She didn't want to encourage him, but at the same time didn't want to reject the friendly interaction either. She picked up the book and sat up from her position on the ground. Tala followed her actions, sitting up as well.

"Then I guess I'll have to read it to you," Madison replied, opening the small book. Tala raised an eyebrow at the violet-haired girl. He looked slightly amused as she shot him a smug look. She opened her mouth, ready to read the first page out loud to the red-haired Russian. A hand swiftly clamped down over her mouth before se could utter a single word. Her eyes widened slightly and she froze as she looked into Tala's ice blue eyes. He was leaning forward from where he sat, currently on his knees and one hand, the other hand lightly but firmly covering her mouth. Madison could feel her face heat up. Her body didn't move, still slightly stunned.

"How about we move on to the next book and come back to this one some other time?" Tala suggested. He lightly pulled his hand away from her lips, his heart racing at the contact. _Anything to make sure I don't have to hear that dreaded girl story,_ Tala tried to reason with himself. Madison nodded, shaking away her slight shock.

"Here," Madison held the Romeo and Juliet book, trying to forget what he just did. It wasn't everyday that the one of the school's most attractive guys talk to her as if they were friends. Especially since she was an "outcast". Was he just playing with her emotions? Tala took the book from her and used a thumb to fan over the pages before setting the book down on the carpet.

"Why'd we have to read Romeo and Juliet," Tala muttered. _It's such a typical English book. _"Not that I hate it or anything…"

Tala looked over at the girl across from him. Her eyes were focused on him in a serious and attentive way that made Tala feel… comfortable. Girls usually giggled or blushed around him, which made him feel awkward and slightly embarrassed at times. Of course, not _all_ girls giggled when talking to him or blushed at his presence, but there were the handfuls of girls who did. Thankfully, most of the girls fawned over Kai. The loner was the hardest guy to get and held a "bad-boy" kind of air. The kind that girls go crazy over.

"Same here," Madison said slightly warily. Why the hell was he talking to her? Well, it wasn't as if it was against the law or anything, but people like him just didn't speak to a person like her. Cliques were stupid like that. All of the "popular" kids made fun and talked shit about the other kids, while all the other kids talked about how the "popular" kids were sluts, whores, asses, etc. Of course, it wasn't as if _everyone_ shunned her. But a lot of people were nervous when talking to her. She couldn't blame them. Katrina's word was law at the school. Of course, not everyone liked Katrina (for obvious reasons), but no one had the guts to shoot her down. It was almost as if there was an invisible line that everyone was afraid to step over.

Madison saw that line very clearly. She didn't dare say anything… yet. But she didn't want to be an "outcast" forever. As much as she hated to admit it, being an outcast sucked. It fucking _sucked_. _The incident happened so long ago… yet, here I am. Still an outcast. _She silently vowed to herself that she would end the title of outcast. No one would be forced to suffer in loneliness ever again. Not that she was ever really lonely, for she had Jade (and the other few people who didn't mind talking to her), but it was sad that the reason why people didn't talk to her was because they were afraid of Katrina. That… bitch. _I'm going to cross that line if it's the last thing I do._

"I like the fight scenes though. They're pretty cool," Tala smirked. Madison resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Boy are _all_ the same. The only thing that interests them is fighting, sex, and sports. Well, most guys, that is. He picked the book up and flipped through the acts, looking for the big fight scene. Madison took her chance to see what exactly made his so special over other guys. After all, Katrina was pretty picky when it came to boys. She favored the ones with looks as well as brains.

He was tall with a pale complexion, which, Madison had to admit, was quite attractive. His body was lean, with an athletic build and his face was nicely sculpted. He had a slightly high nose and crystal-like ice blue eyes. His red hair contrasted well with his pale skin and matched his blue eyes. Oh yes. He was certainly easy on the eyes. No doubt about that. Intelligent? She knew the answer to that one too. He was one of the top students in the grade (after Kai, that is) and also one of the best athletes in the school too.

Madison tried to focus, pulling her gaze away from the boy. There was a time and place to be thinking about boys, right now wasn't one of them. Besides... why should she trust a guy like him?

"Hey," Tala said placing his book down. "Do you want me to bring in Russian folk stories that have romance and drama in them?"

"Yeah. That would be great." Madison replied, hiding her happiness. She couldn't help herself. It was the best idea yet. Honestly. Of course, anything was good compared to the typical Romeo and Juliet, and the oh-so-cliché _Gossip Girl_. Tala hid a pleased look as he heard the girl's response. "That would be great. I can bring in a couple of Japanese folk stories and I already have a Korean one I could add."

"Korean?" Taka asked, raising an eyebrow lightly in a faint playful manner. Madison shrugged lightly. _I can't believe I just told him that._ She turned her face away and pretended to rub imaginary dust out of her eyes. She tried to collect her thoughts, hoping that the red head didn't see her. _Stupid Valkov. Out of all the people... why'd he have to be in my group. _After she had collected herself, she turned her face back to face the boy.

"Tell me about it." Tala suggested. Madison almost shot him a skeptical look, but refrianed from doing so. Her violet orbs locked onto his stunning crystal blue ones. His eyes were sincere and honest. She had never been one for reading emotions through people's eyes and she never quite understood how other people could. But now she understood what those people meant.

"Sure. Whatever." She replied casually. It wasn't as if it would hurt her in anyway if she told him a short story. She'd make it quick and short. That way she could go home and finish unpacking her stuff.

He moved closer to her, so that they were sitting side by side. She moved away slightly, but not too much (for that would have been awfully mean). Calm violet with pastel lavender contrasted gently with sharp red. Tala smirked inwardly. He had broken through her quiet and withdrawn exterior. And even though it was a pretty big step, he knew he there was a lot more in order to win her heart. It was a challenge that was pretty damn near impossible considering her Katrina-fixed status. There was only one question. Was her heart really worth it? Was _she_ really worth it?

Absolutely.

* * *

I finally finished this chapter! Molly didn't come in this chapter, but she will soon. Morgan can in for a bit, but she'll definitely show up more. And I got Max in! Yay! I'm sorry for the long wait (as always). As you can tell, updating is something that I'm not good at doing (more like updating quickly). So things are starting to move with Madison and Tala. Jade wasn't in at all, but the next chapter will have her in. And you saw more of Andrew. Hehe.

The next chapter will start off with Molly, Morgan, and Jade. Then you'll hear the Korean folk story that Madison was about to tell Tala (which is a true Korean folk story… though I'm not sure if the story is necessarily true. It's a folk story). Krystal will open Andrew's letter and the package and Kai's package.

The love triangle poll came out with Rei/Jade/Someone. With Kai/Krystal/Someone fairly close behind. Of course, the triangle will come in later on (after a few chapters), but it will be Rei/Jade/Someone. The question is:

Who will that someone be?

A. Canon Character

B. Your OC (of you wanna make one for me)

C. My OC (if you don't wanna make an OC, I don't mind making one for myself)

You can give me your input on who the second boy should be. It can be a canon character, but if you want, you can send me an OC. Or I can make on of my own. Just thought you guys might wanna send an OC in for fun. Haha. Oh! And thanks to **_meep_** who suggested Brooklyn. It made my day. Heh.

Oh! And one more thing! One of my best friend has a account and has just completed the first chapter of her new (and only… but certainly not first) fic! My characters from _It Might Be You_ star in it. Hehe. **And she needs OCs!** Go to the user **_goldenSMiLE_** under my profile page (favorite authors) and send her a some! Advertising is not something I like doing, but it's a small favor for all the things she's done for me. And it's also a really good fic (I'm fond of her OC, Cody) and worth reading. Please send some OCs! Thanks. Here's some background info on her fic (taken directly off her profile page and modified a bit):

Title: This Is How We Do (Beyblade)

Rating: T/M

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Summary: A huge tournament is brewing and only five select teams will be invited to participate. Teams are expanding with old teams recruiting new members. New faces and old faces collide, as well as new powers from every blader. Who will reach the top?

Starring:  
The Bladebreakers: Tyson, Daichi, Krystal, Madison, Marissa, Cody (her OC)  
Kenny, Hilary, Rachel (non bladers)

Demolition Boys: Kai, Tala, Bryan, Spencer, Andrew

PBB All Starz: Max, Michael, Rick, Emily, Eddy, Stephanie

White Tiger X: Rei, Mariah, Lee, Kevin, Gary, Jade

New team (name undecided): Brianna (her OC), and five other OC's from other authors/authoresses.

OC's needed for:  
Bryan  
Spencer  
Daichi  
Michael  
Lee  
Cody

That's about it. So send her some OC's. Sigh. And I'm sorry to bother those who didn't like the little "advertisement", but that's what friends do for each other. And please don't send her OC's in your review to _my_ fic. Not that I mind getting reviews, but it's not like she's gonna read the reviews for my story anyways (because it would make sense to submit in a review to _her_ story). Just some common sense stuff.

Thanks for putting up with that. And thanks for putting up with me and my tendency of updating slowly. Special thanks to **Cerulean Gemini** for her awesome OC, **_Sora_**!

>>edit>> I changed some parts thanks to some helpful reviews. And to **Cerulean Gemini**: I honestly wasn't thinking when I used Cerulean for the newspaper. I just thought that was a nice color and my friend brought it up while I was typing. Should I change the name? Or do you not mind...? And by the way. Rei didn't have sex. In case you were confused. Sorry if that part wasn't written clearly.

Anyways, if you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know. I've had some really good suggestions so far and they really help. Feel free to email me or send a review. Thanks!


	5. New Roomates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kai, Tala, and Rei. And I don't own _Gossip Girl_ (the book series) or the Korean drama/folktale Madison retells. I only own Madison, Jade, the school, the principal, the newspaper editor, and Katrina.

**_Molly_** is owned by: **GOLDEN-CAT-EYES1**

**_Morgan_** is owned by: **Shadow INUGIRL**

**_Sora_** is owned by: **Cerulean Gemini**

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone… here's my first Beyblade update since, well, forever. Honestly, I've lost most of my interest with my old fics because they were kind of (or perhaps… _very_) Mary-Sue-like… including this fic, which I've grown to dislike in many ways. I can't fully hate it only because I have a soft spot for my younger self. :D

This fic is also makes some of the characters rather OOC. Such as Rei, Tala, Kai… and well, all of the canon characters. But they're more interesting that way, in some points. In other points, they're just damn annoying. I'm sorry for ruining their characters to all you hard-core shippers.

Anyways, so here's to old times. I'm sure many of you, if the same readers are on and still writing/reading, have lost interest in this fic as well… and some of you probably need to re-read the whole thing. I can't apologize enough. If you've given up on me, I don't blame you.

Well, enough of my sad ranting, it's time to move on. Half of this chapter was written about two (ish) years ago and the other half was written in the recent couple of months. So if things seem odd, although they probably shouldn't, it's because I stopped then had to force myself to restart.

I warn you, this chapter has its boring points. It also has its OOC points and stupid points. But it has some nice point in it too (hopefully).

I hope you'll enjoy my attempt to please. :)

**Reviews: **Thanks to all the reviewers. You still make me smile and I'm still encouraged by you all. I'll still update this story because I'm not the kind of person who would leave a story undone. You all rock. No joke. :D

* * *

**Crossing the Line**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"I've decided." Molly announced. Jade looked up from her book and gave a questioning look. Morgan nodded in agreement to Molly. Jade, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. Actually, that was a lie. She had a _slight_ idea on what Molly and Morgan were talking about, but she didn't know if her assumption was correct. 

"I don't really care about your stupid school status," Molly said rolling her eyes. "It's not as if people really care about that stuff… right?"

Jade raised an eyebrow. So that's what Molly was getting at. The whole "outcast" deal. Jade shrugged in response. Actually, people _did_ care about it, even though a lot denied that fact. Although, to be honest, the "outcast" thing was better than two years ago. Over time it just got too cliché for people to really care about.

Jade sighed to herself. It was nice that they didn't care, even after she had reluctantly told them "the story", but she didn't really want them to be shunned. They were new students. Why would they volunteer to be friends with socially shunned people?

"I don't think you understand," Jade said calmly. "The reason why people don't talk to us is because they care. They're afraid of Katrina's word. Too afraid to be caught talking to us. I doubt other people hate us, but Katrina and her friends do, and that's why people hardly talk to us during school hours. Some students literally treat us as outcasts though, for some reason."

Molly opened her mouth to retort, but Morgan shook her head at the chocolate brown-haired girl. Molly scowled inwardly. So what? _Stay calm, girl, _Molly told herself. She was normally very collected, but she hated it when people told her she didn't understand! What was she supposed to be? A _psychic_? Or course she didn't understand! That's why she _wanted_ to. That was why she was dismissing the fact that her new roommates (except for Morgan) were "outcasts".

"I guess that means you're afraid of her too, huh?" Molly said in a mock casual manner. That struck Jade. Her forest green eyes widened slightly as she heard those words. A new realization dawned upon her. She had never thought of it that way. Of course other people were afraid, but it was her problem, not theirs.

"Ah," Morgan said smiling to Jade. "I don't think you're afraid. It's difficult to stand up to some one who has greater authority. After all, Katrina _is_ the principal's daughter."

Jade nodded dumbly. No. Molly was right. She _was _afraid of Katrina. But she wouldn't stand for it anymore. As soon as Krystal and Madison came home, she would break the news to them. Although she had a good feeling Krystal already kne—wait. Home? Jade paused.

"You know what? You decide." Molly said coolly. This was a free place. That girl, Katrina or whatever, shouldn't just rule over the entire school. It wasn't right. In fact, it was downright weird. And stupid. Jade stood up and shut her book, placing it on the side table.

"You're right," Jade sighed. "I'm a coward for not sticking up for myself."

Morgan shot Molly a look and tried to give a little comfort to Jade. "You're not a coward. You were probably just unsure of the situation."

Jade smiled, her emerald green eyes warmed up slightly. But she knew the truth. She was a coward. She stifled a laugh. This was the kind of situation that only happens on TV shows and movies. The mean girl reigns and the protagonist wins in the end. The only catch was that this wasn't a show and there's absolutely no way to call the cuts. It was kind of exciting in a way too… _I mean, can I win? Actually, Madison's more of the protagonist, but, hey, there's room for more than one in the spotlight… right?_

"By the way, where are the other two girls?" Molly asked, trying to change the subject. "I mean, not that I forgot their names or anything…"

Molly trailed off. Morgan raised her eyebrow and Molly grinned sheepishly in return. Jade shrugged lightly, snapping out of her thoughts. "Madison's at the library, but I don't know where Krystal is."

"So that's their names," Molly said grinning. Morgan nodded with a smile, she had met the two other girls earlier and knew their faces, but they left the dorm before Molly's arrival so Molly didn't have a chance to meet them yet. The Mediterranean-skinned girl was slightly eager to meet the other two "outcasts". Or at least, she was more eager about meeting Madison, since Krystal was too… well, she was the only one Katrina truly disliked. Not because of her friendship with Madison and Jade, but more because most of the male population at school thought Krystal was hotter than her.

"Will they be back anytime soon? Are they coming home for dinner?" Morgan asked. She scolded herself mentally for referring to her knew living quarters as her home. _I mean, I've only been here for what? Less than a day? Great. Now the others will think I'm some kind of homesick kid._

"I'm pretty sure both will be home for dinner," Jade grinned, trying to make the two new girls feel more comfortable. "We can either go down to the cafeteria for dinner, go the kitchen at the end of the hallway, or eat out. But in order to eat out we have to show them our ID cards and our room key, so if you don't have your ID card then we can always go to the cafeteria and grab dinner. We can bring it back up here to eat too, if you want."

Molly whipped out her new school ID card with a grin. She covered her picture with her thumb and smirked proudly. Morgan dug through her wallet and took out her card, not bothering to cover up her picture. Molly took a look at Morgan's picture and scowled lightly.

"Why is it that _I'm_ the only one who takes crappy pictures in this world?" Molly demanded. Jade snatched the ID card away from Molly and grinned. Molly scowled deeply and took her card back, stuffing it in her wallet.

"You're picture looks awesome!" Jade chuckled. "You should see mine! My smile is super lopsided."

Jade took out her ID card and faced it towards herself, frowning at her picture. Morgan tried to look over Jade's shoulder but Jade covered her picture swiftly with her thumb. Molly made a grab for it, but Jade jumped up and shoved it back in her backpack, which had been lying on the floor nearby.

Morgan's violet eyes locked onto the ocean blue backpack with a mischievous gleam in them. She pounced on the bag, her action made Molly smirk widely to the point where the other two girls knew she was trying her best not to laugh. Jade grabbed one of the straps of her backpack and tried to pry it away from Morgan, who had quite a strong grip.

Molly, seeking revenge for her revealed ID picture, grabbed the other strap and helped Morgan, all three girls fighting over one bag. Jade shouted as her grip began to loosen. Molly and Morgan shared looks of triumph and continued to tug on the bag, trying not to break the backpack at the same time.

"Hey!" Jade exclaimed. "Whoops!"

She let go of the bag, the slight pain in her hand from gripping the strap of the backpack finally got to her. Morgan's eyes widened as she and Molly flew backwards from the sudden release of the bag. Molly yelped as Morgan landed on top of her with Jade's backpack in her hands.

"Open it!" Molly exclaimed, ignoring the fact that Morgan was still sitting on her leg. Jade let out a grunt of protest and hurried forward for her backpack. The other two girls ran to another corner of the room to open the bag but Morgan tripped over a lamp cord, although she caught herself just in time, making Molly run into her back.

"Oof!"

"Aiee!"

Both girls fell into a pile on the floor, still clutching Jade's bag tightly. Jade stopped trying to grab her bag and stared at the two in silence. A dull silence fell over the room and the three girls looked at each other, Morgan still clutching onto the bag with a tight grip.

"…"

Jade burst out in laugher, cutting through the silence and collapsed on the couch. Both new girls joined in on the laughter (Molly stealthily took the backpack from Morgan, who was too busy laughing) and laughter filled the room along with a new air of friendship. Too bad they were too busy laughing to notice the sound of the door opening and closing.

A voice startled all three girls, their laughter died down as the person who entered spoke up.

"What's going on?"

* * *

"A long time ago, there lived a beautiful young girl," Madison started in a typical storytelling manner. She honestly did _not_ want to tell the story at all. It was a mushy and sweet story. It wasn't that she hated it. No, that wasn't the case. It was just… _mushy_. No action or adventure. It was kind of dramatic and definitely romance, though. So it would work in well with the project.

Tala listened, giving her his full attention. She seemed to ease up slightly around him, but the trust was no where close. _I guess it can't be helped, _Tala frowned.Madison searched her mind. How did the rest of the story go? Oh! Yeah. Now she remembered. A sudden though came to her mind as she remembered the rest of the story. And that certain thought was on the length of the story. It was a _long_ story. Well, to her it was. She had no intention of telling it all to the Russian sitting next to her.

"Wait. It's a long story," She said to Tala, her voice had become slightly cold again. Tala frowned inwardly, but shrugged in reply to the girl. _I guess she doesn't want to tell it to me,_ Tala thought slightly disappointed.

"You can shorten it then," Tala said. Madison nodded, putting an invisible barrier between them. She didn't want to trust him. He was… highly suspicious. Well, to her he was. She paused and hid a small frown. _Damn. I'm… hungry._ She shook her head and tried to concentrate. It was kind of odd that she'd think of food at a time like this.

"Okay," Madison said, getting ready to continue her story. "In Korea, back then, the people were separated into different classes. There were the nobles, the merchants, the farmers, etc. The girl was a mix. Her mother was a… geisha."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "A geisha? You mean those Japanese dancers who serve men?"

Madison shrugged and gave him a short glare. "Well, the girl's mother was similar to that… you get what I mean. A Korean geisha. There _are_ Korean geishas, you know."

Her amethyst eyes locked onto his icy-blue ones. Tala smirked and gave a half-shrug half-nod. Sure. He understood what she meant. The girl's mother was what could be called 'geisha' status. It wasn't a title to be proud of at the time, but it was a good way to bring money home to the family. He learned about this stuff last year.

"Her father was a noble," Madison continued. "So he was able to grant her a fairly normal life because normally if your mother was a Korean geisha, the daughter would follow the same suit. Well, one day, when the girl was around fourteen, there was a festival in her town."

"Wait," Tala interrupted. Madison glowered but stopped talking, nevertheless. Tala ignored her look. "Do these people have names? Just curious."

Madison stopped glaring and pressed her lips together in thought. "They have names… I just can't remember them."

Tala nodded and motioned for Madison to go on. Madison narrowed her eyes in a silent warning to not interrupt her anymore and only received a smirk in response. Madison opened her mouth slightly to speak but closed it. Tala glanced at her and raised an eyebrow at her slight pause. "Is something wrong?"

"Um," Madison replied blankly. "Yeah. I forgot where I was."

"Festival," Tala replied.

"Oh right," Madison said with a slight grin. "So the festival, which I'm pretty sure took place in May… although that's not important, and was full of people. It was a large festival and the governor attended bringing his family. The governor had a young son, the same age as the girl I suppose, and he was wandering around the festival with his servant. The girl, meanwhile, was swinging alone on a swing. You know, the kind that's attached to a tree with rope?"

Tala nodded. Madison gave him a small smile before continuing.

"Well, the girl was swinging with her servant watching her nearby, yes, she had a servant," Madison said fairly quickly before Tala could ask any questions. Tala grinned lightly and waited for her to continue.

"The boy passed by the girl and stopped when he saw her. It was love at first sight for him. He asked his servant to find out who the girl was by asking the girl's servant, and received an odd answer," Madison said swallowing. Her voice was growing tired and the story was only half way over. This was the shortened version too. _Maybe I should have made it shorter…_

"The boy's servant came back only to tell him about the girl's status. The servant also said that the girl was a bit of a snob, but an outcast at the same time," Madison said. The word "outcast" felt bitter as she said it. She refrained from making a face and continued on. "But the boy didn't care. In fact, he decided to visit her at her house. He though she was… erm… _easy_ because her mother was a Korean geisha."

"Easy?" Tala snorted with a slight smirk. His ice blue eyes seemed to be smirking too. Or at least, to Madison it did. "As in, easy-to-get-in-her-bed, kind of easy?"

Madison's eyes widened for a split second with embarrassment and horror, but swiftly faded away as she regained her composure. _Not a very good time to act immature, Madison,_ she scolded herself mentally. _I should have used a better word. Now the heroine in the story seems like a slut. Good work, Madi. _She gave him a look for the comment and searched her mind for where she left off. Oh. Right. The _easy_ part.

"Sure, whatever. That kind of easy," Madison said rolling her eyes. "So he goes to her house and tries to see her, but finds out that she isn't that kind of girl. She refused to see him each time he came."

"Each time?" Tala verified, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, each time. The festival wasn't a one day event," Madison replied with a wave of her hand. "So anyways, the boy kept on coming and the girl kept on refusing, even when the boy realized she wasn't that kind of girl. The girl's mother, on the other hand, admired the way the boy didn't back down. And persuaded her daughter to give the boy a chance. After all, if she found the right guy to marry, she could get rid of her "frowned upon" status."

Tala nodded, it was practically the same for every country.

"The girl still refused to see the boy, so her mother let the boy in because she admired his persistence," Madison continued. _Almost done…_ she thought, cheering mentally. "The boy finally gets to meet the girl and they talk with each other. They quickly fall in love, but soon after, the governor's son had to return with his father to the capital. So they secretly get married under the moonlight and take vows of love."

Madison sighed mentally. As mushy as it sounded, it was really romantic. She snapped out of her thoughts with an inward scowl. This was definitely _not_ the time to be admiring some story-romantic event.

"So they took vows of love and the boy left shortly after," Madison said continuing smoothly. "Two years passed and the boy didn't return for the girl. There was also a new governor for the region. The new governor was cruel to the people and abused his power. He came into the girl's town, and saw the girl and her striking beauty. He asked her mother if he could see the girl, but the mother refused, so the man sent the girl and her mother to jail."

Tala nodded. _Man… this is definitely an elaborate Korean romance. It has drama written all over it._ He also got the feeling that Madison was whizzing by the story as fast as she could, judging by how all her sentences were brief and to the point. Ah well, it wasn't as if he really cared. The story was getting too long for him anyway.

"Then right before the girl is executed—"

"What?" Tala cut in, raising an eyebrow. "She's suddenly getting executed?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the bad guy said so."

Madison waited for his reply and when she got none, decided that it was alright for her to continue. Besides, she didn't know the entire story detail by detail. She just knew that the girl was sentenced to execution.

"As I was saying," Madison continued, giving the red-head an annoyed look. "Right before the girl is executed, a government official stops the execution, questioning the new governor and inspecting the case. To put things simply, the girl was found innocent and the governor was arrested."

Tala could feel the end coming near and refrained from sighing in relief. As much as he enjoyed being in her company, the story was a little to… girly for him. Claire would have enjoyed this immensely.

"The government official however," Madison said, glancing at the clock. "Noticed the beauty of the girl and asked her to marry him."

Tala groaned inwardly. Why was it that all the Korean officials were attracted to this one girl? Good heavens.

"The girl, being faithful to her husband from two years ago, said no and explained her situation," Madison paused, unsure if she got the last part of the story correct. She wasn't really sure if she remembered the ending either. _Oh well,_ she thought sullenly. _It's not as if he's really going to notice if I messed up a few areas._

"So…"

"So the official replied that he did understand her," Madison said slowly. _Uh… I think that's what the official said…_ Darn her memory. "Then the girl realized that the government official _was_ her husband. He had returned for her. The end."

Tala stared.

"That's it? That's the ending?"

"That's it."

As lame and stupid as it might have sounded, Tala was somewhat disappointed. The ending was surprising but short and, to put it blunt, rather lame. If this were a movie at the theater in town, Tala would have requested the theater give him his money back.

"Oh."

Madison made a face. What? So she was a crummy story-teller, so what? Plus she was tired… _and_ hungry. His ice-blue eyes gazed at her with slight curiosity. Something about his eyes made her breath hitch involuntarily. Maybe… she was wrong to prejudge him by his popularity. After all, if she could tolerate him for an hour, he couldn't be all that bad, right? After all, if anything, he should have been the wary one, not her.

"I have to leave now," she started, standing up and stretching her limbs. Tala, being a rather typical teenage male, couldn't help but discreetly marvel at her slender figure. _She speaks like a boy at times but she definitely has a sense of elegance to her._ He nodded and pulled himself up as well.

"So, I guess we'll meet again some other time," Tala suggested casually, earning a slight jump from the petite female. She blinked and turned to face him. Meet… again? Tala smirked inwardly at her expression, reading it right away. So she didn't hold any negative thoughts towards him after all. In fact, he himself was somewhat startled at her honest expression.

"You know," he drawled lightly at the silent female, still carefully picking his choice of words. "For the rest of our project?"

"O-oh. Right." Madison replied warily, mentally kicking herself for that one slip of control. She held back a scowl and looked up towards the ceiling, fixing a short glare at nothing in particular. She looked back at Tala, cursing him mentally with a colorful array of words, and picked up her backpack, ignoring him as he did the same.

"See you in class tomorrow."

"See ya."

She hastily made her exit, just barely missing the slight smirk that flitted across the handsome Russian's face.

* * *

Krystal made her way to her dorm room, clutching the package tightly. _I think lack of sleep makes me act like a stunned cat or something. I fell really uptight… I better just forget about this package. It's probably not all that bad anyways… I mean, what's the worst my mom can send in a small package?_ She pushed the thought aside as she reached the door of her "apartment".

She dug for her keys, shoving the package under her arm to open the door. She pushed open the door and paused as she heard a loud shout from the main room. The shout was followed by laughter and voices, making Krystal raise an eyebrow while she closed the door behind her.

She walked into the main room, stepping over a box of pizza on the floor. _Ugh._ Seriously. Somehow she got the feeling that she, Jade, and Madison were no better than a bunch of teen boys rooming together. Hopefully one of their new roommates would be neater and tidier. Of course, she was usually pretty tidy, but Campbell did have maid service once a week so what was the point?

Yes, she was a tad spoiled. Who could blame her?

She walked into the entrance and stared at the three girls laughing on the ground. Good thing she stopped. If she walked any further, she would have tripped right over Morgan. All three were too busy laughing to even notice her entrance (not that it bothered her). Krystal looked down, blue-gray eyes focusing on her roommates.

"What's going on?"

The laughter stopped, embarrassed looks appeared on each of their faces. Another click came from the doorway and seconds later, an annoyed Madison appeared next to Krystal. Madison scrunched her nose at the door jam.

"Hey, what's with the hold up?"

"I, err, I mean, we… we were just…" Jade stuttered, standing up slowly. Molly stood up and brushed herself off, shooting Krystal and Madison a cheeky grin. Sheesh. It's like they've never seen fun before. Morgan stood up, wearing a sheepish smile on her face.

"Hah!" Madison laughed. "You weird kids."

Krystal shook her head, a slight smile playing across her lips. She suddenly frowned, feeling hunger creep through her slowly. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Morgan nodded, feeling that she could trust these people. Something about them made it okay to be herself. And somehow, that feeling reassured her, even in this large and formidable school. "I'm Morgan, by the way. Morgan Moonstone."

"I'm Molly Brown," the other girl added, rich brown eyes holding no emotion. Jade smiled and pointed at Krystal and Madison.

"That's Krystal Kamiya and Madison Yagami," she said pointing to the respective girl. Madison raised an eyebrow and crossed her eyes playfully.

"Jade, didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to point?"

"Shut up."

Molly smirked and sat down. Jade stood up hastily, eyes wide and mouth in an 'oh' shape.

"I have an idea!" Jade exclaimed, ignoring a few stunned faces. "Let's go out to eat an early dinner and come back, do our homework and sleep! I know it's kind of lunchtime, but it's pretty late for a lunch, you know. So instead, we can have an early dinner and then come back early."

"Hm…" Krystal murmured. "That's not a bad idea…"

"But where are we going to eat?" Morgan asked, bringing up a good point. "And how are we going to get there?"

"Let's eat at Dan's Diner," Molly suggested. Madison and Jade shared looks of horror. "I passed that place coming here and it looked pretty nice. I'm kind of curious to see how it is."

"Same here," Krystal nodded. She had noticed the small, but surprisingly appealing looking diner and wanted to take a look at the place. It was right down the street from the school, right before the larger part of the city. It looked rather quaint and the simplicity (but neatness) of the place had caught her attention.

"Katrina will be there," Madison sulked openly. "It's a popular diner."

"We'll just avoid her," Krystal suggested calmly. "If she has any friends, she won't notice us at all."

Morgan watched in silence. Krystal spoke true. If Katrina was really as popular as she made out to be, then they could slip in, eat in peace, and hurry back without being noticed. Jade didn't protest, but she didn't feel comfortable going either. Molly, either oblivious to this fact or uncaring, smiled.

"Well then," Molly spoke up. "It's settled then. We're going to Dan's Diner."

"Right," Krystal agreed slowly. "We can take my brother's car."

"You have a car?"

You have a brother?"

Molly and Madison looked at each other as they spoke at once. Krystal shot them a half-annoyed, half-confused look as she walked towards the door and picked up her purse. Jade followed reluctantly, trailed closely by Morgan.

"Yeah," Krystal replied with a light shrug. "He's probably not using his car so it'll be okay if we use it."

"We don't have to," Morgan suggested. "The diner looks really close. We could just walk there, in case, you know, your brother needs his car."

They had reached the parking structure, a moderately short walk from their dorm building, and were heading towards a sleek silver car. Madison admired the ride and noted that it looked fairly new. Krystal unlocked the car and settled herself in the driver's seat, the other girls seating themselves as well.

"It's no big deal," Krystal replied casually, turning on the engine. "He won't even notice it's gone."

And with that, she took off.

* * *

Kai sat on his bed and carelessly tore open the package. His crimson eyes gazed emotionlessly at the inner box. More specifically, the label of the inner box. _Another camera. Great._ The box read, "Eclipse X: Model E300" and had the picture of a sleek looking 35mm SLR camera on the cover. Kai was just about to dump the outside box (which was slightly bigger than the box that held the camera) away, but a small item dropped out before he reached the trashcan. Film. _Great._

He automatically regretted ever being a part of the newspaper staff. It was hard work and consumed a lot of personal time. He would have dropped out this year, but his grandfather would probably murder him if he did. Another reason that prevented him from dropping out was that it looked good on collage applications. That was also the case for the other staffers as well. Being on the newspaper staff for Campbell Academy was a pretty big deal.

First of all, it was practically invite only. Only students with good grades and a talent in art or writing were invited. If you weren't invited, you could send in an application, but students that were invited had an automatic spot if they chose to accept. Fair? Probably not. But if you thought about it, it was fairly reasonable.

Good grades were a big factor. If you had low or mediocre grades, juggling the newspaper staff position and schoolwork would be difficult. Art and writing talent was pretty much self-explanatory, although slightly unfair. Art included digital talent, layout talent, and photography talent. Writing included writers that were recommended by teachers. The types of writers varied greatly. But that was basically it.

Positions or openings were pretty rare. If a senior graduates, their spot is up for the taking. If someone quits (which is rare too) then their spot is given to a new member. Also, if the vice principal recommended you because you filled the requirements, then you had a pretty sure chance of getting the open slot.

Kai was, unfortunately, fairly good at photography. Okay. So he was darn good. But how hard could it be to take a damn picture? Apparently, it was pretty hard if they thought he was good (in his opinion). There were only two photographers on the staff. One that used a digital camera and one that used a manual one. And, unfortunately… again, he was the manual photographer.

He didn't hate being photographer. Hate was such a _strong_ word. It was tedious though. Being the manual-camera photographer meant self-developing his pictures. Occasionally, he used a camera with playback options, but he was usually instructed to use a simple SLR (not including all of the gadgets that could be attached to his camera). Why? Well, because usually although his pictures were used in the school newspaper, they were also used for other school-related media as well. If he managed to get a nice picture, they would occasionally blow up/enlarge the picture and frame it.

How… lucky.

Actually, he didn't give a damn. As long as they credited him, they could do whatever they want with the pictures he took.

The plus about being a photographer was that he didn't have to write anything. Or talk that much, for that matter. All he had to do was take pictures requested by the editors of the staff. Oh. And develop it. But he was accustomed to going into the dark room or processing lab.

Kai placed the film on his desk and opened the box containing the camera. He pulled out an impressive camera (complete with auto-focus) and the manual. _Damn. Now I have to read the manual for it._ He placed the camera back in the box it came from and place the entire thing on his desk beside the box of film. He skimmed through the manual, quickly noting the new things that came up. _Good. There's not too much I need to learn._ He knew that the Editor-In-Chief sent a request for a new camera. _What a waste. The old camera was perfectly fine._

He honestly didn't not know anyone on the staff. He knew their names, well… most of their names, but he wasn't near close with any of them, unless you counted Katrina, who sat next to him every meeting. As annoying as she was, he chose to ignore her rather than make something of it. She was the only person he "knew" though.

Unfortunately.

A knock on the door startled the silence, although Kai, himself, remained unfazed. He placed tossed the camera manual on his desk and walked over to the door, slightly annoyed by the unknown guest. He opened the door calmly and gave an emotionless stare to the boy on the other side. Yoshimura.

"What?" Kai demanded. Andrew ignored the cold statement and shot Kai a wide (and pretty fake… in his point of view) smile. He looked behind Andrew and noticed that Tala had returned from the library. Tala looked tired, but gave a sharp nod of his head in acknowledgment to Kai before sitting himself down besides Rei. Kai narrowed his eyes at Andrew. That was it? Andrew wore a slightly smug look, making Kai's mood slightly sour (only a small bit though).

"So?" Kai replied shooting Andrew a look. His voice had a hint of boredom which was unnoticed by the blond boy in front of him. What unnerved Kai the most was that no one was stopping the moron in front of the door. Both Rei and Tala knew how much Kai disliked people bothering him. Andrew's face was already more than bothering him.

"Let's all go out and eat!" Andrew grinned. "I mean, since we're all here and I have my car."

"What?" Rei said, golden orbs flying towards the dirty blond. "You have a car? And it's here?"

Andrew turned his head, still standing in Kai's doorway, still standing in front of a very annoyed Kai. Andrew nodded slowly. What? Was it weird to have a car on campus? Lots of students have vehicles right? Well, he knew Tala owned a motorcycle but… same diff right?

"Rich, huh, Drew?" Tala smirked, shaking his head teasingly. "Way to make the rest of us feel poor."

"Shut up, you," Andrew said, making a face. "If we go out to eat, you're sitting in the trunk. And stop calling me Drew."

Kai glared at the back of Andrew's head, tempted to close the door of his room on Andrew's fingers. He hated eating out. Not because of the restaurants for anything… okay, maybe that was partially the reason. But it was mainly because of all the attention he got. If there was one thing he hated more than his grandfather, it was unwanted attention.

"I guess that settles it then," Tala replied lazily. "Since Drew has his car, we're all going out to Dan's Diner for dinner."

Dan's Diner? _Hell no_, Kai thought frowning inwardly. Too crowded. Dan's Diner wasn't just a restaurant, it was a teen hangout. The food was pretty good and set at affordable prices, but it was popular and always damn crowded. Save for when there were school homecomings and stuff.

"Why there?" Rei inquired warily, much to Kei's relief. Rei was certain both Kai and Tala avoided going to crowded places as much as possible (well, mainly Kai). Tala nodded towards Max. Ah. So the new guy needed a tour. But what about Andrew…? Tala answered as if he could read Rei's mind.

"Drew's too dumb to care."

Andrew scowled at Tala and, much to Kai's annoyance, continued to stand in his doorway. Any longer, Kai vowed, and he was going to shut the door. Fingers and all. Andrew stepped back, as if knowing Kai's intentions, and crossed his arms. He walked towards the door and grabbed his jacket and keys.

"I'm hungry," Andrew stated, keys jingling impatiently. "So what're we waiting for? Let's get going."

"Fine," Rei sighed, picking up his jacket and shoving his wallet in his pocket. In a few minutes they were all ready to leave, save for Kai, who had just been persuaded by Tala and was grabbing a few of his things. When the slightly scowling slate-haired Russian finally came out, the group made their way to the parking structure where Andrew had his car in.

Andrew stopped in front of an empty parking space. Max looked at the blue-eyed male questioningly, curious as to why they had suddenly stopped.

"Where's my car?" he muttered, a deep frown forming on his lips.

"What do you mean, _where's your car_?" Tala sighed exasperatedly. "Don't you remember where you parked it? I highly doubt anyone jacked it."

"Shut up," Andrew retorted. "It was here… I'm positive."

Andrew's blue-gray eyes widened as realization hit him. _Oh hell no,_ he scowled inwardly. Of all the days she had to borrow his car, it just _had_ to be today. Kai raised an eyebrow at the shock painted across Andrew's face.

"Dammit Krys," Andrew growled.

_Krys?_ Kai found himself recognizing the name.

"Sorry guys, but I think we're going to have to walk," Andrew muttered, kicking the ground in embarrassment. Tala and Rei shared looks of confusion while Max merely shrugged, not at all bothered by the sudden lack of car. Walking a couple of blocks wasn't at all a big of a deal to Andrew, but it was still rather disappointing. If only his sister had bothered to _tell_ him she took his car… but no, she just had to use it without him knowing.

"My sister borrowed my car."

Just his luck.

* * *

**End of Chapter 5**

* * *

Okay, the last poll is void. Why? Because a love triangle will make it difficult and I'll probably be even slower in updating with something like that. I'm actually embarrassed for even putting up a poll, though, not that I don't like reader input. I don't know why I'm embarrassed by it… I just am. The next chapter will come by, hopefully soon. I'm juggling school, sports, hobbies, and my fanfiction stuff (which goes under the hobbies category).

I think the next chapter will have a little sibling quarrel. If my brother borrowed my car without letting me know, I'd be pretty ticked. Ahaha. Until then. :)


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